Ramlord & Condensed Flesh - split tape

I just got this amazing split tape by mail. Colin from Stimulation addict records sent me the link from this beast and i was totally sick. Here we have two new amazing bands from New Hampshire that totally kick blackened asses.

Ramlord (that rips Battle of Disarm's logo - and you can't go wrong with that) offers a heavy blend of the usual old-school crust alongside sludgy parts that go away only for more brutal assaults. I really love the vocals, well done to the singer. Somewhere i read that they are like Artimus Pyle. I'll agree but they are more into slow-fast part changes.
On the other hand we have Condensed Flesh, a more bleak representation of sludgy crust, the one with the blackened garnish. Their side is one track and is a live recording, but it sounds good. They have also great screaming vocals (they eat nails for breakfast), the usual proto-blackmetal sounding and axes instead of guitars. This split shreds and you should give it a try and if you like it buy it through Colin (see link above). And as Ramlord says : "Smoke weed // Kill Cops".

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KingTerror loves company...

Words are very unnecessary

Avgrund Livet

Σίγουρα, δε θα μπορούσα να είμαι αντικειμενικός για ένα συγκρότημα του οποίου τα μέλη είναι όλοι φίλοι μου. Άνθρωποι για τους οποίους τρέφω απεριόριστο σεβασμό, με τους οποίους έχω οργανώσει συναυλίες και όχι μόνο, άρα η κριτική μου δεν μπορεί σε καμιά περίπτωση να ειδωθει ως αντικειμενική.

Οι Avgrund Livet (σημαίνει νομίζω “Χαμένοι στην Άβυσσο”) προέρχονται απτήν αθηνα και ήταν ενεργοί για αρκετά χρόνια, αν και, αν δεν κάνω λάθος δε πρέπει να έπαιξαν πάνω από 5-6 συναυλίες στα χρόνια που υπήρξαν ενεργοί. Αποτελούνταν από διάφορους γυρολόγους της ελληνικής “Καν'το μόνος σου” σκηνής. Ο Δ και ο Τ έπαιζαν στους Reality Bites και αργότερα στους Ατοπία, ο Β (ή αλλιώς D-Bill) στους Antimob και schwartz and anger, ο Χ στους Antimob και ο Μπ στους Kalazaar και Jagernaut μεταξύ άλλων.

Συγκρότημα δημιουργημένο κυρίως μέσω της παλιάς συναυλιακής της Villa Amalias Από άτομα που ασχολούνταν (άλλοι περισσότερο και άλλοι λιγότερο) με τα μουσικά δρώμενα της εποχής. Πρόβα με τη πρόβα στο ανήλιο μουχλιασμένο υπόγειο (ας το πούμε προβαδικο) δημιουργήθηκε αυτό το βαρύ και ασήκωτο γκριζωπό Caterpillar που λίγοι καταφέραμε να απολαύσουμε. Αλλά για να κατανοήσουμε το μέγεθος της σπουδαιότητας του εν λόγω συγκροτήματος πρέπει να κοιτάξουμε καλά το περιβάλλον στο οποίο ανδρώθηκε.

Είναι η εποχή που δεν έχει καταλαγιάσει ακόμα ο θόρυβος γύρω απτό επικό Vengeance των Tragedy, τα σημάδια είναι ακόμα νωπά απτά μεγαλειώδη live με crust μεγαθήρια που ήρθαν απτό εξωτερικό. Χαρακτηριστικό παράδειγμα ότι μετά τις συναυλίες των Jeniger και The Dagda μεγάλο κομμάτι των πανκς ήθελε να σχηματίσει συγκροτήματα τέτοιου ύφους. Προσθέτοντας και τους μεγαλειώδης δίσκους που κυκλοφορήσαν τότε οι Isis και Neurosis μπορούμε να καταλάβουμε τις καταβολές του group. Μεγαλειώδες σε στιγμές, βασανιστικό crust hardcore με μικρές post πινελιές. Μελωδικά riffs που συνθλίβονται από ασταμάτητα blast-beats και φωνές από τα τάρταρα. Κομμάτια γραμμένα για “όλες τις καμένες εκκλησιές” από φοιτητές της θεολογικής σχολής. Να προσθέσω πως οι Avgrund Livet ήταν ίσως η πιο δυνατή μπάντα που έχω δει εγώ μαζί με τους Schwartz and anger επί σκηνής. Χαρακτηριστική η “κόντρα” των δυο, όταν οι Schwartz διασκεύαζαν Πρωτοψάλτη και “πάμε χαβαυ” οι Avgrund παίζανε διασκευή Χάσμα 5 φόρες πιο γρήγορα με blast-beat και ουρλιαχτά. Ακόμα θυμάμαι το live με τους Ballast (Canada) και το πόσο εξουθενωμένος ένοιωθα με ένα συναίσθημα ασφυξίας να διαπερνά την σπονδυλική μου στήλη. Ballast who?

Δυστυχώς, δεν κατάφεραν να κυκλοφορήσουν τίποτα και αυτή η πρόβα απτό μακρινό 2006 είναι το μοναδικό πειστήριο μιας ακόμα καταπληκτικής μπάντας που κλειδώθηκε για πάντα στο χρονοντούλαπο της ιστορίας.

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Arguing about Discharge...

Straight to the point. No mood means time for Discharge. As I was net surfing I saw some bloggers comments and I had a silly smile on my face because it's things i've always thought about Discharge. So, the dialogue is between Aesop, the cosmic keeper, and the Wizard, the cassette ripper. Enjoy.

“the wizard :

-Is it bad that I think DISCHARGE are overrated? Does it make me less punk? Am I horrible for thinking that 75% of the DISCHARGE ripoff acts are actually better to listen to than DISCHARGE? Is it funny that when they toured the US in 200? with that VARUKERS dude singing, my friend had to describe to the drummer what "D-Beat" is, and that indeed there was an entire genre based upon his drum beat that he invented because he couldn't really play?

awww, never mind, I'll just go read that first comment again. That's way better than asking a bunch of pointless questions.

Aesop :

-Okay, Wizard. Yes, Discharge is overrated but only because they were so fucking great, make sense. They may not have been as good as everyone says but "Hear Nothing..." remains as one of the greatest records of all time. This Dis bands that followed never really interested me because they adopted the visual aesthetic but never quite got the power and simplicity of Discharge at their best. It doesn't bother me the drummer didn't know of d beat, they never called themselves such, it'd be dumb. Hell I invented all kinds of shit that I have no idea what the kids might be calling it, shit like flim flam, green core, titpunch, and ramshackle!!! Discharge certainly merits the attention they received, unlike hack bands like The Exploited, UK Subs, and the Varukers. When it comes down to it, there were only three truly truly great UK punk bands...

Discharge
Rudimentary Peni
Subhumans

the Wizard :

-I did choose my words carefully, knowing this would be your response. While I do think that many (though certainly not all) modern Dis bands are indeed more interesting to listen to than Discharge, I would never contend that they are even marginally important in comparison. It doesn't really matter how well you ape something...you are still merely trying to channel something that has already been done (and probably better).
It doesn't bother me in the least about the drummer either, I just found it amusing that there are thousands of kids trying to recreate something he had done totally on accident, and out of necessity.
And as for the shit you invented? Well, that was really just you trying to figure out how Frank Beard might sound were he blessed with a chance to play for a high as shit pop punk band, or some grey met'lers, right?.” 

You can find the whole dialogue here.

now, here you get Discharge's second ep, "Fight Back" from 1980 released on Clay records. I have to take Aesop's side cause i think discharge albums are way more interesting than the ultimate metal boneheads that came back to punk with labels as Earache with money as their aim (this is what i think, i may be wrong). No chance bands as Raw Noise, Disgust or Death Dealers to get on the scales with Discharge. And if anyone tell to me again that only the first two albums are good, i'll say "all the hipsters say so...".

"I'm sure you don't need me to tell you that Discharge was the greatest punk band of all time, and possibly the greatest band of all time in general"

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Abolition - jesus was a fucking dick 7''

“Christ, forgive? Forgive? I vomit for you yeisu. Shit he forgives.”(Crass-Asylum)

Every christmass the same old shit. Churches, priests, stupid preying idiots, politicians and the great (any-)nation history (that turns out a nationalist story). Pictures on the news everytime it's the same. People on their consuming drugs, buying and buying, and now with their social state benefits chopped-off by the same bastard bosses they vote in the first place. Is this a drama? Sure it is.

Religion is a fraud as Disrupt use to say. How ignorant is the fact that you believe in something that you can not even see. Jesus saves? Yes, for sure...

By the way, this blog turns out three years old. Three years of high-octane hardcore / punk, three years with some good posts, some really bad and also mean posts (reflections of my inner state, dare I say), three years of meeting new people, of love and also of despair... Three years of the greatest of hope turned to ashes... We are strong and we're struglling for our future.

Now, you may know the band Abolition. Their 7'' “Jesus is a fucking Dick” I think is the most hilarious way to sing along all together “fuck-off” to all of those scums that rule our lives and suck us dry (check their great lyrics on the track “Sadistic soldiers of the Lord”). This is old-school hardcore / punk the european way. Bad recording (more likely like a rehearsal demo), clear bass lines and male/female vocals more shouting than crawling. Take some influences Infest, No comment, Yuppicide, Neaderdal and the rest fast hardcore powerhouses. This is great euro-hardcore with political lyrics and a 16 booklet with explanations and guess what : scans included here. The individuals behind the band were fucking active with releases of fanzines (Amok/Confronation zine) and a small label called Equality records. Later, they changed their name into STACK. this defenetily a ripping record, back from the day that heart meant more than plastic production and masterings....

Wish we have a good new year, but I can't see it coming...take care

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Stockpile - 7''

Ok, this is the second best 7'' (released by Destroy me records) i listened of lately, after the Raw nerves "burnt skin" 7''. Stockpile comes from Philadelphia featuring current and former members of WITCH HUNT, STATIONS, AURYN, HYPATIA... Stockpile is the greatest mix of the usual portland sound along the swedish d-beat. If you like the copy-paste type-of zines of the 80's, this band could easily be on the top-10 of your 2012 list but with more modern sound, produced by Brad Boatright (Check also Sarabante's first full length), he made a terrific work.

This is brutal hardcore, for guys like d-bill or/and bak, for guys that like their coffee without milk, but with old-school d-beat. If you like Warcry's "Not so distant future" with heavy vocals (The vocals are rad and could take any of the Youth Attack kids out), heavy bass-lines and catchy drum changes this is a hell of a record...Influenced by the 80's anarcho-punk bands, but more in the "i-kill-you-motherfucker" style...rip it...

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Against Empire - Thieves and Leeches

Some months ago, i've made a post about Dogsholylife and their forthcoming euro-tour. The band came through greece and was a blast. Very nice guys, open-minded and alcoholics as hell. Two members of dogs also plays for Against Empire, Matt and Dylan  delivering the goods for both bands and they truly do a great "job" and julien the drummer runs Threat to Existence records. This is their new lp on Profane Existence records (a very good release for the label after long time).

 

So, for those who are familiar with their heavy crust days of the "destructive system collapse" 7'' and the "one who bear the scars..." Lp i have to say that the band have made an impressive improvemnet on their sound. Their tracks are sharper and faster with double shouting vocals. I can say they made a step closer to anarcho-punk/crust not only by lyrics (they were a political aware band in the past also) but mainly by the tracks "construction", something like Born/Dead, Aus-Rotten or even the fast tracks of Dogsholylife and as jarred (dogs drummer) told me :"the more the guys play with dogs, the more influence gets to Against empire" and that's true. Seven amazing tracks for headbangers hard and die-hard pogo wolves plus a great CRUCIFIX cover. The rip is taken from Up the fuckin punx blog. Cheers.

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Chokehold - 1995 - Content with dying

Is that really anything to be spoken about this album? Low-tuned, heavy-weight, straight edge and fucking political. This canadian band have been one of the most influential of all time in the hardcore scene with their anti-religious, anti-homophobic and alimal/earth liberation lyrics. If you don't know them please check them out and if you do know them pay respect (a. i'm waiting a review of Trial's "are these our lives").

"They have us fooled reaching for the amerikkkan dream. Trapped in the 9-5 its like swimming upstream. Do as they tell you forethought is bound to fail. We are dying and no one seems to care. To busy rushing to a go no-where career. You think you're free? You just cant see the bars. we're all in prison in these free countries of ours. Your not free, you never were."

Members went on to play in such bands as The Swarm, Brutal Knights, Left for Dead, Haymaker, Our War and Seventy-Eight Days.

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Expressing ideas through DIY (The Revolution will not be posted on eBay, or anywhere else)

Been having fun, ain't no lie

Expressing ideas through DIY

But some shit sucks, that's for sure

(Like spending) thousands on records that are obscure

Records are collected

Money's invested

Original ideals

Completely neglected

Availability affected

(While) eBay is Molested

What does this say about who we are

And what we're fighting for?

With collecting records we're obsessed

How can we even pose a threat?

Time to get our shit back on track

Time to get our shit.....

Back on track!

Terrible feelings - death to everyone (2011)

This is my latest obsession. Terrible feelings comes from Malmo, Sweden and delivers the catchiest punk rock i have heard in ages. I can imagine that they have been in numerous other bands but i don't have a clue. If you see a crustie with lots of patches of Framtid and Death Dust Extcractor and a girl in a Repulsion sweater talking on their new favourite band (it happened to me and a fellow hipster friend in a gig some days ago), then you know this worth a listening.

The guy from Tadpole records hooked up with this from a youtube track and i can't get enough lately. This band creates so beautiful environments, a psych  feeling of loss and defeat played with no distorted guitars and nice rolling drums. The songs could be described as a mix of modern punk rock with power pop. They remind me all the female fronted bands that wrote history in the underground hardcore scene but i think they're gonna be bigger. Masshysteri and Gorilla angreb comes to my mind flerting in a bar full of smoke with The Wipers and The Enstranged. "Death to everyone" is the Japanese release of the two 7'' ("tied up" & "impending doom") and the first demo with better sound quality, released from donuts pop records.The song "Hollow" have THE lyrics : "I punish people round me, i know they care for me". Dark, vein-cutting and punk!

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