Harlots Interview

I was very excited when it was announced that Harlot's sophomore record 'This Is The Second Death,' was coming out in the summer last year. So much so I hatched a grandiose plan to have their interview as the lead one for my then (pipedream) webzine. Well why let a good interview go to waste, and seeing as I have finally got this shit going, I thought I'd share this lengthy but really interesting interview with mainmain Jeff (drum god).


1) Firstly, would you please give some background on how Harlots came into being and what the goal was to do with this musical endeavor?

The initial ideas and songs for Harlots started coming together in December of 2002. Once Eric Dunn had joined the band as a guitar player in early 2003, that’s when the band really started to coming together. The goal was and is still to play music that satisfies us. We want to play music that is going to continue to make us better musicians, and also something we'd like to listen to. We keep topping ourselves because we are always pushing ourselves to be better musicians and write better songs.

2) It seems to me that Harlots is quite a demanding project, is this why you’ve had so many people come in and then leave the band?

Harlots is a demanding project, but it's what I love to do so I don't look at it like that. Eric and I have stuck with this band for almost 4 years, and we've had to replace vocalist after vocalist and bass player after bass player until we came upon Christian Fillippo about 2 years ago, and Josh Dillon just joined in December. This is probably the most solid the lineup has ever been.

About the ex members of this band, I'm not going to hold back. Most of them are still my friends, most of them just weren't serious about playing in a band. They thought it was something cool to do and didn't realize that you actually have to work for this(or just didn't feel like working), and that’s how it is for almost every other band that is trying to make a living playing. There are however other reasons members have to leave. Our bass player before Josh, Kenny Jones, toured with us in the summer of 2004 as a second guitarist, then toured with us in the summer of 2005 as a bassist. Kenny was 15 when he joined our band.

We knew that we were going to have to tour a lot more than Kenny would be able to due to him being in high school, so we got Josh. Josh plays guitar in Mugger, which Kenny plays drums for, so we're all still great friends. Another example would be Ben S. Jacob, who joined as a bass player the same time Christian joined to sing. Ben is a musical genius in his own regard, and a great guy and really worked for this band. After so long, we had some musical disagreements that we thought were getting in the way of finishing "This is the Second Death".

Ben is still a good friend of ours and now plays in a band called Basilica. On the other hand, our original bassist Joel Wright, and our vocalist before Christian, Alex McIntosh, both quit the band a week before "The Woman You Saw.." came out, and really fucked up touring for us. Both of those kids were my best friends growing up. We were really, really lucky that Christian and Ben were willing to drop almost everything and join our band. We had literally practiced with them once before they played their first show with us.

3) You have just released a new album, are you pleased with the outcome, certainly to my ears there is a marked quality in the sound, whereas your debut sounded more muffled (although this didnt detract from the power of the record) this time around you sound fuller and therefore more powerful, how do you feel this affected the songs?

Well "This is the Second Death" was recorded almost the exact same way as "The Woman You Saw...", the only difference would be that Steve Austin of Today is the Day mastered it. Eric has mixed both of our records, and mastered "The Woman You Saw...". "The Woman You Saw..." is the first record that Eric ever mixed, and we were both 17 when we started recording that record. It's really funny how that turned into a full length. Eric calls me up one day like "Hey my friend Nick can do alright recordings, we should do a demo with him". So we go and record, and in the meantime we're having a ton of lineup problems. About a month or 2 later Eric calls me up saying "Hey come over I got this demo to sound pretty good, come and check it out." We were having quite a bit of vocalist problems on that record, so me being the drummer, wrote all the lyrics and recorded vocals on it with the intentions of having somebody else redo the vocals, and everyone just kept flaking. "This is the Second Death" was recorded by the same dude, Nick Brough, and Eric mixed it. Whats really funny is that the guitar and drum tracks for "This is the Second Death" were recorded a week before "The Woman You Saw.." came out.

But to answer your question, I think "This is the Second Death" is a lot more focused than "The Woman You Saw...". Eric and I were both still really young during the writing process for both records. You can only be so focused when your 17 and 18. Now we're both 20, and we're still babies compared to all the dudes we're playing shows with, but we are definitely a lot more mature players. I am 100% happy with both records and I love the way Will Goodyears artwork compliments the sound.

4) Are you relived that This Is The Second Death, is finally out now? What hindered its release?

YES! A lot of things hindered it's release. First things first, when we first recorded it, Christian and Ben Jacob has just joined the band. So it took some time for Christian to write lyrics and get his voice up to par. This is the first band that Christian had ever sang for. I had mentioned a musical disagreement with us and Ben. Well what that boils down to is his bass tracks didn't fit the music the way that we thought they should. He has a very different way of approaching music from Eric and I. By that time I had joined Today is the Day, and while I was up there I asked Steve to master the record. It worked out really well because I got to sit next to Steve while he was mastering it, and he cut us a pretty good deal.

Now, the real problems were with Lovelost Records. When we had first agreed to do this record with them, everything seemed cool. We saw the success with his former bands Black Dahlia Murder, Into the Moat, and Through the Eyes of the Dead. He paid for the mastering and the artwork. Gave us a release date for November of 2005. So it ended up not meeting that release date. We were touring a lot then, in support of a record we didn't fucking have! Lovelost would promise us CD's each time we went on tour, then we wouldn't have them. There was one instance where he said "the CD's went to press today" which was the first day on our tour. So then I would try to call him to get updates, and no answer, no calls back.

Then he says "the pressing plant shut down in the middle of pressing the record and I can't get my money back" and says that his phone was shut off. So then we worked it out with our previous label Feeling Faint, that they would co release the record. Lovelost would pay for the pressing and it would get distribution through Lumberjack(Lovelost is exclusive through Lumberjack), and Feeling Faint would take care of getting it pressed and take care of all promotion, so basically all Kevin had to do was 30 minutes of work and sit on his ass and let the record come out. Well, after a month of waiting we said fuck it and went with Corrosive. The whole time, what it was is that Kevin was in Police Academy and didn't have time to run a label. We never signed a contract with Lovelost, and now he is asking us to pay him back for the artwork and mastering.

I'm probably going to get in some shit for saying all that about Lovelost. Haha.

5) Did you encounter great label interest when searching for a new deal and how does your new label Corrosive compare with those youve worked with before?

We had talked to Metal Blade, Prosthetic, Lifeforce, Translation Loss, Tribunal and Codebreaker. Corrosive Recordings just seemed like the best option. Eric at Corrosive was just like "I really want to work with you guys," right away, where everyone else was kinda iffy. That was the same deal with Feeling Faint, and Lovelost. They wanted to work with us and showed us that they wanted to. I believe that the label being as passionate about your music as you are is a really important thing. As far as comparing Corrosive with Lovelost, thats obvious. Comparing Corrosive with Feeling Faint... I think Corrosive is run more professionally, and I don\'t mean to talk shit on Feeling Faint, we are still great friends with them.

Eric from Corrosive just has a really really strong backround in music, having worked at radio stations, recording studios, worked for Hydrahead, roadied for The Red Chord and Unearth, and now working at Lumberjack Distrobution and the company that presses his CD\'s. With Feeling Faint, Andrew and Frankie have both roadied for us, Andrew was actually still in high school when we signed with them, he would skip class and talk to me on the phone.\n We were Feeling Faint\'s first release. I feel bad for Feeling Faint, because we are still the only band that has toured for a release on their label which has made it hard for them financially. I definately do see Feeling Faint turning into a really good label, especially with the Sleep Terror disc coming out. Corrosive has a had a decent amount of luck with how much The Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza tour. Touring is 100% essential for bands like us. Oh and by the way, Eric from Corrosive lives about an hour North of me, so if I ever need to go up and kick his ass it won't be to terribly difficult, haha!

6) Who writes for Harlots and what is the process like when you are composing your music?

Eric and I write all of the music. We write songs in all kinds of different ways. Some newer material was written on drums before guitar was put to it. Some was written by Eric, Josh, and myself jamming. A lot of the more ambient stuff Eric did completely on his own. Typically, Eric and I write most of it together. There have been other pieces of music that I wrote on guitar, and the really early stuff was written by me and Joel.
Lyrically, Christian writes most of it on his own, but I still help out where I can.

7) Aside from the chaotic assault of your more aggressive material, there are the more introspective pieces throughout your 2 records. Do you plan to integrate with greater prominence the two sides to your sound in the future?

Definately man! It definately has changed from what it used to be like, you'll have to wait and see.

8) Leading on from the previous question, Id like to talk about your influences (musically). I dont remember where I read it (so correct me if Im wrong here) but a piece described you being as influenced as much as by Sigur Ros and Don Caballero as you are Cryptopsy and Discordance Axis, would you say that these are accurate? Personally, I feel that in your more introspective moments, they are dreamier and more akin to Mono, Godspeed You Black Emperor and Mogwai then Don Caballero.

Don Caballero's drumming was a huge influence on my drumming. I'm not really that familiar with Mono, and I definately used to be a fan of Godspeed You Black Emperor. To be honest, I think that a lot of that type of music is just too slow for my tastes. I play with a lot of energy, and I like music with a lot of energy. I know Eric is a fan of Mono. His band Kenoma, who just released a split cd with Mouth of the Architect, is right up that alley. Kenoma is an outlet for Eric to play like that because I'm not really into playing like that anymore. Like in the previous question, our lighter side has changed quite a bit. It's a lot more upbeat. I don't really know how to describe it, but I'm 150% more into what we're doing now.

A lot of those influences were mentioned when we were a younger band. I think now we influence each other\n to play the way we play. I write something on drums, so it pushes Eric to play up to par with what I have on drums. Eric writes something on guitar, it pushes me to play up to par with his riffs. We definately influence ourselves within the band more than any outside influences now, which I think is essential to having your own sound. Eric and I have inspired each other lot on guitar too(I played guitar before I ever touched a drumset). Earlier on, a lot of the ideas were spawned from guitar riffs I had, the tuning we used was something that I was fooling around with, etc. Eric is a much more natural guitar player than I am, and he took what I was doing on guitar and made it way better, so that definately influences me to try to keep up with him on guitar. I think it works the same way with Josh. Josh and Eric have been friends for a really long time. About everything Josh knows on guitar, he learned from Eric. So when Josh joined the band, there was no real down time.\n Thats the same way it was when Kenny was in the band too. Those two kids picked up our songs like it was nothing, when we have tried out other musicians who it takes a fucking month to get one song down.

9) Seeing as your music is quite abstract, what reactions do you gain when playing live? Do kids dance or stand swaying with their jaws rooted to the floor?

It differs every night. I love seeing kids tear shit up to us. We play with a lot of energy and I like to see that reaction out of kids. Some nights everyone will just stare at us, and I get done playing and thinking "man those kids hated us", then they come and talk to us and tell us we\'re the best thing they\'ve ever seen. And some nights, kids fucking hate us. Its really hard to say. We\'ll play with all pop punk bands and do really well, and then we\'ll do it again and do horrible. We\'ll play with all hardcore bands that sound like Sick of it All or something, and do horrible, and then other nights\n the crowd will love us. We\'ll play with all Christian bands and kids will absolutely hate us, we\'ve even been banned from Christian venues, and what blows my mind is that we have so many fucking bible references, but then those kids will eat up a band like Remembering Never, who is blatantly against God. Kids are fucking weird.

I think what it boils down to is that we're a band that plays music, and we definately try to push as many limits as we can with what we have. Kids that are there for music will love us, and granted sometimes it's a little too much for kids at first, but they still will respect us. Kids that are there for scene politics alot of times don't like us because we are there to play music for everyone, and we don't try to appeal to one small group. Which is what I thought hardcore was about anyways, oh well.

10) Do you think Harlots could have manifested 10 years ago or do you think that now the music climate is more geared too bands like yourselves that are overtly willing to push boundaries?

I think the music climate has always been open to bands who push boundaries. I think if this were 10 years ago, we would probably sound a little different, but look at bands like Today is the Day, Human Remains, Don Caballero, Sick of it All, Slayer, fucking Metallica, Death, Cynic, The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Van Halen, etc. Everyone of those bands pushed the boundaries for what you could do musically and what would be accepted. They took chances that a lot of other musicians wouldn't take and now they are all legendary in their own right because of that.

11) Finally, what are your future plans for Harlots?

Touring, touring, touring, finishing up a new record for Corrosive, and touring. Look for us on the road in the U.S. with Veil of Maya, and Lye By Mistake later this year. Thank you for the interview.

Harlots are a great band. They are working on a new full length which should be out this year, if you havent heard them, then rectify that now - www.myspace.com/harlots.

If you want music, then those stores carry their cds,

www.verydistro.com

www.revhq.com

www.interpunk.com

Desperate Measures

Third world hardcore. There's an endearing thought and one that perhaps encapsulates purely what hardcore is meant to be, heart, soul and pure passion, all of which come in abundance throughout Point Of No Return's swansong record 'Imposed Freedom,' from 2002. Easily the most influential and perhaps best (although I still dispute this inside my head on a regular basis) hardcore band from South America, Point Of No Return, even in their formative days, were no poor imitation of the States and Europe. Granted there were prominent influences running from those demographics (especially from bands in the New York area and not just Earth Crisis) but they took these elements and sculptured them into their own entity that was relentlessly heavy, overtly confrontational and absolutely fierce. Coupled with the band's seething intensity was a pitch black atmosphere that engulfed the material, making it all the more urgent.

The progression that the band made from each release was astounding, as each element was given greater emphasis in the context of a piece. One of the band's greatest strengths was their mastery of how to expertly utilize three vocalists. Each one had his own unique aesthetic trademark but rather then merely have them separated, hammering out a line in turn they would overlap, butt in and appear without warning whilst another was still screaming. However, in spite of this sporadic approach a smooth flow was consistently maintained and added to the texture of feel of the songs.

http://www.sendspace.com/file/zbdzwd - Point Of No Return - Imposed Freedom

The band played their final show at the Liberation Fest in 2004 alongside various other great South American bands (such as Children Of Gaia, Nueva Etica etc). Apparently they were due to release another album in 2004 but this as of today has still not been released although I have been told it is coming.

Luckily, it looks like this record (and their other awesome full length) is still available here, http://www.verydistro.com/search.aspx?typeofsearch=artist&keywords=point+of+no+return

I was sick to discover recently that the band played Ieper Fest in 2002, if only I had known.

Like You Could Really Get On The BBC

I really don't know how I came to be acquainted with this band, I have a filling it was through their affinity with the almighty Page 99...probably, anyway, I'll quit the foreplay and get to the bones of the matter. Back before 'emo,' became a dirty word amongst snobby music circles, it was a term that (like hardcore) covered and encompassed so many bands with contrasting styles and approaches. Certainly classic 'emo,' would be associated with the calmer splinter of bands that sounded like indie rock but with broken hearts. But there were also those that were bracketed with the term that were far far removed from those calmer folks.

Amongst the finest were Majority Rule, whom I remembered being described to me as "emo-violence," back in 2001 when this record was unleashed. Now although the band described themselves as punk (like their kindred spirits Page 99) they sound nothing like what would be deemed as the archetypal punk band (so Rancid fans, leave now). Rather, this was a far more visceral brew complete with scathing vocals and stabbing guitars that swung and collapsed without warning, without structure, yet, despite the instability and the manic nature of their songs, Majority Rule were so adept at making their pieces memorable, filling them with beautiful (yet destructive) riffs and lyrics.

http://www.sendspace.com/file/y4n845 - Majority Rule - Interviews With David Frost

The band called it quits in 2004 but in their 8 years they were far from lazy, putting out two cds, a split with Page 99 and a slew of 7 inches.

If you feel the tunes support the band, they are still selling copies of this one together with their other cd releases here - http://www.majrule.com/main.htm.

Straight From The Streets

Easily one of the hardest bands I have ever seen live. The first time in 2002 at London's underworld was a war zone, it was absolute carnage and I duly feared that some, if not all of my teeth were about to be smashed. The same feeling was repeated when Irate literally tore through Pressure Fest in 2005, for the closing 'Vendetta,' the whole floor went bananas inciting the kind of dance floor moves best reserved for a Jackie Chan film set. I was privileged to see one of the final Irate shows last year and am still in fact mourning their passing and eagerly awaiting the promised resurrection of the band in a new guise.

Until that moment, let's take a step and consider how monunmetal, Irate were. This their debut from 1998 balanced the sound they would go onto develop on their seminal full lengths "11.34," and "NY Metal." For the uninitiated Irate were from the Bronx and produced an unduly hybrid of tougher then tough New York Hardcore with intricate metal leads, riffs and harmonies. Their sound was thick, relentless but also varied and constantly moving showing that this was no lunk headed troupe intent on busting your head with continuous mosh and beatdown, no, no, no, Irate looked to dissect you from various angles bringing in those breaks when you least expected it.

http://www.sendspace.com/file/v5rxlw - Irate - Burden Of A Crumbling Society

As you can see, there is only one download link, well I decided to rip the whole CD, zip it and post it as one, hopefully this will work, but if it doesn't, then let me know and I'll rearrange the tunes.

Now I love the sound of "Burden," especially the versions of "Transcendence," and "Gone," which appeared re-recorded on "11.34," here they sound so dirty, so of the streets and makes me want to break everything in orbit when those tracks hit.

Its amazing that no one picked up Irate during their tenure, considering that they wrote better songs and put on one of the best shows I have ever seen. Well, I hope that if they do return, fortunes are kinder to them.

Now due to "Burden," being released on a very obscure label 'Even If It Smells,' and their later output being self released, tracking down their records aint gonna be easy, the band were selling all 3 records on their website but that, together with their myspace have disappeared. So watch http://www.ebay.com/, and I'm sure that when the band do eventually resurface, they will do represses, for now, enjoy 'Burden.'

Walking through fire

Day Of Suffering have ascended through the years to become one of my all time favorites. Their sound and their attitude fortunately spread through to some loyal disciples (Heaven Shall Burn most notably until they signed to Century Media and stopped sounding like an even more metal incarnation of DOS) but now, the band face being cast into the annals of history with countless others as one of "those," vegan bands from the 90s that sound dated and "weak," because they are bereft of certain elements circulating in today's music that makes it heavy.

What's most frustrating is that 'The Eternal Jihad,' (DOS's lone full length) hinted at so many possibilities some of which I understand were explored on a demo that the band released in 1998. I haven't personally heard it but I have been told that it sounded like the band's older material mixed with vicious black metal, apparently that track (and some others) will be surfacing at some point this year through www.xcatalystx.com. Anyway, after Day Of Suffering's demise two of the members (Rob Townsend and Paul Hart) went on to form this short lived project and it looks like they released nothing more then these two tracks (taken from a demo that was limited to 25 copies, how kvlt is that??).

Despite the brevity, for 11 minutes it sounds like the world is going to cave in, imagine Townsend's and Hart's former material mixed up with a heavy dose of Morbid Angel, broody vocals supplied by Ted Gasper and voila! Armageddon unleashed.

http://www.sendspace.com/file/6lsbgo - Sennacherib - Hands Bound

http://www.sendspace.com/file/q0mnhj - Sennacherib - Shroud

Due to this being released on a good label that keeps their stuff in print you can find this easily and is readily available here for a good price - http://www.verydistro.com/moreinfo.aspx?id=3624.

Again, its utterly infuriating that this band only put out these tracks, with a little investment they could have been something that equalled or even surpassed the almighty Day Of Suffering.

I guess we will never know.

Missing Files

For some reason sendspace deletes files, god knows why but if any do go missing just mail me and I will put them back up, I found that The Ten Commandments and The Fortress songs were missing today, so they are now back up.

Drown In Sorrow

Clowns. Hate em. Ever since seeing I.T. (and a few other cinematic atrocities where clowns were involved) coupled with my earlier encounters with them (at parties, come on, everyone during their formative years went to, or had a party where a clown was present) my feelings towards them have taken the form of nothing but pure vehemence. The idea of them, the point of them, goddamn, the mere presence of a clown, anywhere just makes me curl up in a ball, wishing that it would disappear into a very deep, black hole. So when I heard that members of Arkangel and Moules from the mysterious Backstabbers (has this band ever released anything??? If anyone knows then fill me in!!) were getting together under the name of 'Broken Clown,' I was perplexed, thinking "What the hell could this possibly sound like?? Arkangel with circus music???!"

In spite of the moniker, Broken Clown and the feelings of trepidation that were coursing through me when I bought this CD were surprisingly (and gloriously) quashed by the band's fluid and potent mix of doomy, miserable yet driving rock that fleshes out this EP's duration. Moules really excels here, usually I'm accustomed to him wrenching his guts out (he can be found on the last Arkangel full length and Kickback's 'Les 150 Passions,') but here there is not a trace of his former self to be found, rather, he moans, mumbles and drawls his way through the material which coupled with the sludgy but tuneful riffing creates a sizable emotional weight that becomes enticing and hypnotic and draws you in to his wretched world of love, loss and depression.

http://www.sendspace.com/file/j3f6aa - Broken Clown - At The Surface

http://www.sendspace.com/file/s7mrsp - Broken Clown - That Wall

http://www.sendspace.com/file/6u9jz8 - Broken Clown - Who The Fuck Is Mary?

http://www.sendspace.com/file/u9o4fz - Broken Clown - My Precious

http://www.sendspace.com/file/q2a517 - Broken Clown - Murdered By Love

Now distros in the US (as far as I have looked anyway) seem to be carrying this, the only outlet I have found this far is here http://www.goodliferecordings.com/webstore/, alternatively, you could try contacting the band www.myspace.com/brokenclown, to see if they have any copies left.

The band have been threatening to bring forth a full length for some time but there is still no sign of it, hopefully it will see the light of day before the end of this year, in the meantime this will have to suffice.

Searching For The Truth...

Lifeforce's current roster cannot hold a candle to that of their past, so many of their releases are now so sugary, so palatable, so zeitgeist (I mean that in a bad sense) that its really amazing and still for me, hard to comprehend, that this label was churning out great record after great record. Yeah I know its not the late 90s or early 2000s but how a label can go from releasing some of the best metallic hardcore that Europe and the States had to offer to dross such as Raunchy is still something I am having a hard time to swallow. Having said all that, you can all castrate me for the fact that when it hits the right distros, I will be purchasing very quickly the new Deadlock album, even though I have heard reports that they have also now become somewhat sugary. .

Anyway, back when Lifeforce was a hardline (this is being used as an adjective, I have no idea if the owners were actually hardline) vegan straightedge label that only released material by bands that were of that ideology. They put out a slew of quality EP's, reissues (the Framework collection) before moving onto acts such as Heaven Shall Burn, Caliban etc that really made the label a force to be reckoned with. Then when Trivium joined the label, it ascended their status further and they are now a big, big label (in terms of independents anyway).

Thus its even harder to believe that they stuff they used to release was so raw, and unpolished, typified by the likes of Rancor, Insurrection and the mighty Unborn. This UK pack (of wolves) unleashed this, their second major release back in 1998, at a time when the UKHC scene was in a pretty tumultuous state. 'Truth Against The World,' followed their raging debut 7 inch on Sure Hand and it saw Unborn increase the metal factor (and song length), making this EP a short but potent stab to the eardrums.

http://www.sendspace.com/file/3wcvni - Unborn - Eternal Resistance


http://www.sendspace.com/file/580bwx - Unborn - Wrath Of Persistence


http://www.sendspace.com/file/0zyven - Unborn - Blood & Time At The End Of The World


http://www.sendspace.com/file/6cqfmm - Unborn - Free To Be Human


This is going for a silly price here - http://www.verydistro.com/moreinfo.aspx?id=1507

Now seeing this EP is criminally short (and because I'm a generous feller) I'm enclosing two of Unborn's rarer tracks that were released on compilations (Rat told me, but I've forgotten which ones, one track was definitely on 'Stones To Mark A Fire.') These rip, and are easily some of the best material the band put to tape,

http://www.sendspace.com/file/5oqfr4 - Unborn - Covenant


http://www.sendspace.com/file/ix4t36 - Unborn - Convoluted

Sensual Sounds

God how long ago it seems since the heady summer of 2003 and what great times, I was looking forward to a long break after my first year of college and the Goodlife summer fest was placed at the pinnacle of that summer break. A big crew from the UK headed out and we all met up to enjoy the likes of Congress, Liar, Die My Demon, Shai Hulud, Heaven Shall Burn, Arkangel etc, etc. It was a great line up and a great fest but one band that surprised everyone there was this mysterious Japanese entity, Naiad. They had flown out for this one show and stole the fest from pretty much all the big names present (which included The Haunted). The appearance (and release of the MCD) was one of the big factors for Goodlife on this fest, and after the performance (and then buying the MCD and listening to it after) its not hard to see why, Naiad were incredible live, pulling in pretty much everyone in attendance with their mesmeric show, which included a burning of incense (if memory serves me correctly) and hypnotic visuals before each member plunged body and soul into a half hour catharsis. Even Shai Hulud (who headlined on the same day) had a tough act to follow (but were still great) as Naiad had truly, stolen the show.

But none of this truly reveals the sound of Naiad.

Well, they managed to concoct a rich, vibrant musical tapestry that is seamless in its execution. In spite of the moments where they swing from melody to mayhem, each transition is so smooth, so lush, that it made the record finish way too quickly. At the time, the band was compared to the likes of Hopesfall and Poison The Well, two fair comparisons due to the mingling of beauty and brutality, but Naiad were no mere impersonation of those two Stateside giants, rather, they were their own, independent entity.

http://www.sendspace.com/file/rrmd0z - Naiad - Sensuous Tone

http://www.sendspace.com/file/vvj5o6 - Naiad - Believing Dreams

http://www.sendspace.com/file/bpg33g - Naiad - Waves Of Influence Strike Within What Truly Moves You

http://www.sendspace.com/file/rwwf2s - Naiad - Song Of Nature

http://www.sendspace.com/file/z7d65r - Naiad - Hopeful progress

This is still about, and there are copies here, so if you feel it, pick it up - http://revhq.com/store.revhq?Page=search&Id=ED091

Naiad unfortunately disbanded in 2006, a full CD was set for release but the band imploded due to line up problems and thus decided to cancel the release of their full length. A real shame because the potential on this MCD hinted at vast and incredible possibilities.

Still if you enjoyed this, then you should scroll down and check out Birthplace who play a similar (bit more aggressive) style and are still together.

Facing The End

Canadian hardcore. Some good bands have come from there, proving that the country isn't an anomaly when it comes to hardcore. Before the likes of Figure Four and A Death For Every Sin started tearing shit up there was the almighty Day Of Mourning who mixed up the tough east coast side with holy terror style atmospherics and feel, shit, on this EP the band even drafted in Human Furnace and Dwid for guest vocals. Whilst Day Of Mourning were adept and knowing in how to pen crushing songs, one of their most distinctive features was vocalist Fawad Bokhari, whose fearsome lungs added a more heaving weight to the songs that made them all the more crushing.

http://www.sendspace.com/file/suol92 - Day Of Mourning - Iconoclast

http://www.sendspace.com/file/456ixg - Day Of Mourning - Demons Who Wear The Same Face

http://www.sendspace.com/file/4a3xu4 - Day Of Mourning - Enshrouded In Briars

http://www.sendspace.com/file/y9ktll - Day Of Mourning - Under A Veil

http://www.sendspace.com/file/xgzyzf - Day Of Mourning - Enemy Of Angels

I grabbed this at a fest in Belgium sometime in 2002/03, I can't pinpoint exactly when, but I was lucky as it was not only the last copy available but its a record that had been (and still is) long, long out of print. I have found a copy though currently going at ebay -
http://search.ebay.com/search/search.dll?sofocus=bs&sbrftog=1&catref=C6&from=R10&satitle=day+of+mourning+&sacat=11233%26catref%3DC6&sargn=-1%26saslc%3D2&sadis=200&fpos=BR3+5BT&ftrt=1&ftrv=1&saprclo=&saprchi=&fsop=1%26fsoo%3D1&coaction=compare&copagenum=1&coentrypage=search

Despite the hefty tag for you stateside readers, I do feel that this is worth it, this is a rare gem that will not be reissued. Likewise if you come across their debut full length from 1998, 'Reborn As The Enemy,' or the split with Clenched Fist, then pick those up as they are both equally devastating.

Pure Brutality

Finally. I've been meaning to do a death metal post for such a long time and this is the first of several so for you death metal freaks, watch out, shits gonna start getting BrOOtal ;) So it begins with one of the underground's most obscure but beloved gems 'Drowning In Tragedy,' by the long deceased Eternal Suffering. The band began in 1994 and took their first major step with the release of the demo 'Remain Forever In Misery,' which was a primitive but viral slab of brutality. However, the progression for the material for the full length was astounding as the band managed to juxtapose deftly the brutality factor (as well as escalate it) with stunning atmosphere. Check the doomy riffs that open and then run throughout 'Let The Dark Waters Flow,' it adds so much more personality to the material and makes it much more memorable. Where Eternal Suffering excelled though was their breakdowns, absolute towering monoliths that crushed everything.

http://www.sendspace.com/file/8995q1 - Eternal Suffering - Let The Dark Waters Flow

http://www.sendspace.com/file/svaorc - Eternal Suffering - The Warmth In Her Torment

http://www.sendspace.com/file/cwp270 - Eternal Suffering - Love Can Never Conquer Hate

http://www.sendspace.com/file/gy9mat - Eternal Suffering - Rise

After the album's release in 1999 the band played numerous fests and then began work on their next batch of songs for a split with the almighty Vomit Remnants in 2000. Well for varying reasons, that split never happened (a tragedy, it would have been one of the best ever) and in 2001, the band disbanded.

Now whilst 'Drowning in tragedy,' has been long out of print and is very hard to find there is good news.

Firstly pathos productions (www.myspace.com/pathosproductions666) will be reissuing (but god knows when) the band's entire discography, in the meantime, if you really need to find a copy of the album, then hit http://www.ebay.com/.

The good news doesn't end there, the 6 tracks that were set to be featured on the split with Vomit Remnants will be reissued with some bonus material this year on the awesome Inherited Suffering (http://www.myspace.com/inheritedsufferingrecords) you can preview a track on there.

Screaming For Justice

Bloody hell this has been a fucker to get up today, clearly my pc doesn't like the 'Verses Of The Bleeding,' tunes. Minchia. Anyway, of all the 90s bands that I have become most obsessed with, Abnegation rank near the top, due to the rumours and stories that this band have caused because of their music, because of their politics and because of their history. Whenever I have quizzed anyone about Abnegation, I have received a cast iron opinion, that is either one of praise or one of sheer hatred. In regards to the latter, the reasoning stems from this due to their views as well as the absolute abomination of a full length that they released in 1997, even though I, like many others, don't consider that album as the true Abnegation. Hence, this post features cuts from their golden days and from the full length so that a fair balance is maintained but also to show the (not progression, far from it) the direction the band took in their twilight period.

'Extinguish The Sickness,' is one of my favorite 7 inches. The amount of times I have spun it now even surprises me, more so if the queasy feeling of excitement that enters my stomach each time a song starts. On this release the band had excelled from their demo 'Life For A Life,' which was bestowed with a sincere energy but lacked quality songs. For 'Extinguish,' they took the raw materials from the demo and unearthed (probably from the depths of hell) some of the hardest riffs, poignant lyrics and punishing beats from the mid 90s. Fuck. If only this band could have got a good deal and released a proper full length at this time...

http://www.sendspace.com/file/ryds04 - Abnegation - Birthright


http://www.sendspace.com/file/fb20lx - Abnegation - Siphon


http://www.sendspace.com/file/fi6aua - Abnegation - Extinguish The Sickness


http://www.sendspace.com/file/dz9dvz - Abnegation - In The Eye Of The Storm

'In The Eye Of The Storm,' was actually the second track on this 7 inch, but the version I have included here appeared on the 7 Inch of the same name released by Enigmatic records in 1995. Musically it is of the same ilk as the 3 other cuts but with the 'harsher,' vocals that Iggy employed for the remainder of their releases with him on the mic.

I have seen 'Extinguish The Sickness,' on www.ebay.com a lot recently, so keep watching there for it.

Now, that abominable full length. 'Verses Of The Bleeding,' reared its ugly head in 1997 and by this time, the line up had drastically changed. Vocal duties were handled by Dave Steele after Iggy left and Doug Corey became the band's sole guitarist after Paul Nowoczynski jumped ship. The notable progression that the band choose here was to gorge and overdose on their metal influences and to eradicate any trace of their former 'core,' self. What was left was a sludgy, primal and very primitive. The tracks that had began to earmark this progression were also featured (but re-recorded) here, one of them being 'Hopes Of Harmony,' one of my favorite Abnegation songs but was completely desecrated for this full length.

Anyway, make your own minds up,

http://www.sendspace.com/file/z8kp8l - When The Smoke Clears

http://www.sendspace.com/file/9x1605 - Verses Of The Bleeding

http://www.sendspace.com/file/rb7ave - Hopes Of Harmony (Horrible Version)

http://www.sendspace.com/file/ufobxl - Cry Of The Ezurate

If you do like this record, then it is readily available for a cheapo price here - http://www.verydistro.com/moreinfo.aspx?id=1021.

Let me know

If anything is broken. I have added my email if you want to get in touch, but if anything does break (like the Caliban songs), let me know!!! And Nick, there you go my friend, the whole Caliban EP is now back up, enjoy and thanks for the comment ;) !!!

No longer a joke...

Reaching back into the folds of memory, I recall that when my interest for black metal began to ferment (around 1999/2000), American bands weren't held in the highest regard. Granted, there weren't very many of them, but those that were operating simply couldn't hold a candle to their European peers.

Post 2000, this began to change when artists as diverse, not to mention classy, such as Weakling, Leviathan, Xasthur, Nachtmystium and legions more, commenced a bloody crusade to not only establish credibility for American black metal but show their peers that they could create their own sound which didn't rely or attempt to mimic that of Europe.

Be it the psychedelic blackened other worldliness of Leviathan and Xasthur or the grandiose brutality of Weakling, the releases by these bands (and others) have become staples as well as hallmarks of the black metal genre. Furthermore, the likes of Xasthur have gone on to cause controversy by switching labels, being 'appreciated,' by trendy rags and declaring all out war on pretty much everyone that has tried to halt or demean the band's progress. This confirms that USBM no longer has to look over its shoulder to examine what's going on in Europe, they can look to trace their own path without that need to acknowledge (or in fact respect) their peers.

One of the strongholds of USBM is the West Coast, both where Leviathan and Xasthur reside but also the focus of this post, Fanisk. Like their contemporaries (especially Weakling and Velvet Cocoon) Fanisk are shrouded in mystery, the members choosing pseudonyms and numerically titling their pieces. The music itself is even more mystically. Each piece if a vast, ambitious canvas that works within but more so beyond the constituents and constraints of black metal. The result is that each song is an ominous but enticing beast, fluctuating and oscillating through various moods, riffs and melodies but always coalescing poignantly so that coherence is maintained.

http://www.sendspace.com/file/v110lv - Fanisk - I

http://www.sendspace.com/file/mxzgzw - Fanisk - II

Locating this one is not going to be easy, I suggest to try the band directly www.myspace.com/fanisk to see if they have any copies left. I know that http://www.supernalmusic.com/ had some copies but I fear they have disappeared. Otherwise, you can consult http://www.ebay.com/ to see if any copies arise.

There's chugging and then there's Another Victim...

Yet another monster from Syracuse (I should have done a weekly feature on these bands) and one that certainly could have become as notorious (although perhaps not as famous) as the scene gods, Earth Crisis, they had that much potential.

Whereas the likes of Green Rage, Contempt and Soulstice (as well as many others of the Syracuse Vanguard) had 1 or at a push 2 significant releases (excluding demos), Another Victim where constantly releasing material, even if the most at any one time was 6 songs (the Equal Vision EP). Their first significant release was this, their debut from 1997 on none other then Stillborn Records. Damn, if only Jamie had the budget and resources that he had now, who knows what Another Victim could have gone on to release.

At just shy of 12 minutes, this EP shows Another Victim at their juiciest, each riff is a smoldering firestorm of a pure metallic fury, intensified by Andrew's gut wrenching bark. Every track moves so quickly with none topping more then 3 minutes. In spite of the brevity their is a unique character weaved into each song, making it distinguishable and memorable but as always frustrating because they are so addictive and often leave me pleading for more...

http://www.sendspace.com/file/73ny08 - Another Victim - Martyr

http://www.sendspace.com/file/xpeo5k - Another Victim - The Undertaker

http://www.sendspace.com/file/7rlqt0 - Another Victim - Ritual Of Decay

http://www.sendspace.com/file/3vbn6x - Another Victim - Trial For A Waste Of Life

http://www.sendspace.com/file/q78jte - Another Victim - A Portrayal Of Vengeance

Well, this is another record that is long out of print, only one place to look people - www.ebay.com

Still Striking Back...

Better late then never.

Well, here is the second part of the Resurrection comp tracks as promised and as with part 1, the quality and variation is still very high. The latter part of the disc though features two of the 168/178's more unusual artists, these being Eric (named after Unbroken's guitarist, Eric Allen, nice touch I thought), and Unboy (who also sound a little like Unbroken, especially musically) but coupled with Unboy and Eric are two bands that typify the expected (but not typical per se) Japanese sound, these being Canopus (awesome mix of Arkangel and Children Of Gaia) and God's Heritage (one of my fave Japanese bands, now broken up :(.
So enjoy,

http://www.sendspace.com/file/w7j3ym - Eric - Education Of The Arrow

http://www.sendspace.com/file/p7jtgj - Canopus - Born II Die

http://www.sendspace.com/file/6pcy7z - Unboy - Hold Kindled Truth

http://www.sendspace.com/file/g2rm9n - God's Heritage - Traditional Evangel

Again, if you want a copy of the CD (and why wouldn't you???) then hit xHirox up directly at www.retributionnetwork.com, but, I have heard that copies of this will be soon available at www.verydistro.com, so the choice, is yours!

More metal than your ma's...

Mix tapes. Remember those? God I do miss them. There was a point from 99 until 2001 where I made so many of them for people (and like wise, them for me) and I would spend so much free time carefully collating a good mix, balancing it and then setting to the task of conceiving it, but now, fuggedhaboudit, damn IPOD'S and you cretins on soulseek, you've ruined it.

The type of mix tapes I received from people varied, thinking back some of the mixes I got…anyway, I digress, one of my favourites was from Mark of Downtrodden in 2001 (now Hellbent Diehard, fuckin check these mofos out, they are seriously lethal, www.myspace.com/hellbentdiehard), who dedicated one side to new school/metalcore and the other side to death/grind. That tape was run ragged, played all the time in my car and it served as a source for new bands, to track down their releases which leads to the focal point of this post, Aftershock.

The track from that comp (Nothing) hit me hard, and began to dig around to find info on the band discovering that 3/5 of them had gone into Killswitch Engage so, wasting little time (as always) I ordered whatever I could find and awaited for the precious package to arrive. At the time, the only CD to be found was their sophomore effort 'Through The Looking Glass,' but no sign of this track 'Nothing.' Further digging let me discover that there had been another full length, this monster, 'Letters,' released on xLifesentencex, but tracking the bastard down has taken until now to do so.

Damn this was a record that was so prototypical, sowing seeds that would be ripped from the ground in the years to come but, in spite of the sheer mass of bands now playing metalcore, none have the sound, the atmosphere of Aftershock. This comes down to two salient factors, the fearsome vocals of Tobias and the cast iron riffs of Adam D.

Now whatever you think of the latter (he certainly doesn't help his personal self image by declaring how he is going to anally rape people's mothers and daughters whilst playing live with KSE), his talent for writing riffs is immense. 'Letters,' showcases some of his finest, they are volatile, they brim with a potent energy that make speakers rumble. Yet, despite their ferocity and intensity, they are so instantly memorable and thoroughly addictive that I have often found myself continuously gorging on Aftershock for days.

So see what you think, and tell me what you feel about the changes in style between Aftershock and KSE, I know that there are variables such as label, popularity and what not that have affected this, but I like to see an open dialogue on how people feel about these changes,

http://www.sendspace.com/file/ogm5mu - Aftershock - Nothing

http://www.sendspace.com/file/xu4xq7 - Aftershock - Divest Your Entity

http://www.sendspace.com/file/fho5fg - Aftershock - Apparitional State

Now, 'Letters,' was reissued as part of a double CD set with all of Aftershock's other material a few years ago, dubbed as 'Propaganda,' which you can still find here, http://revhq.com/store.revhq?Page=search&Id=DHR11


But, if you desire the original pressing, only one place to look peeps - www.ebay.com

I'm not dead...

Sorry sorry sorry, but things have been way too intense here, what with chalking up another year on terra firma, family issues, ordeals and problems and the fact that I've got a mate coming tomorrow and staying until Wednesday has seen me slacken with the blog, so sorry peeps, there will be a post today (maybe 2), so keep coming back, there will be an update ;)

Darkness surrounds...

Despite this theme is constantly recurring, I'll stress it one more time, the mid 90s was a brilliant time for music and although I had no part in the world of hardcore during that time (admittedly, I wish I had been born 10 years earlier, then I would have seen our (Italy) World Cup Victory in 82 as well) the more research I have done and the more stories told to me endear me all the more. However, one prominent premise that has arisen to me is that whilst the mid 90s was a great period and produced some extremely powerful, profound music, it is a frustrating period that had many great bands that didn't get the opportunity to fully demonstrate what they could have and should have done.

Tons of my favourite bands from that era were unable to release much material, of course there were the lucky ones, if you were signed to Victory, you had a chance of getting out at least one full length. But for the legions of bands that expired after a demo and a 7-inch, I lament and wish you had stayed together! However, I recognize and respect that there are variables that would have a siginifcant influence on the fate of a band, such as money (lack there of), member drop outs, member conflicts of interest etc etc etc. But I do often wonder whether bands such as Contempt and the countless others would have been able to sustain themselves if they had gone beyond 2 albums, whether they would have absorbed the most despicable trends of that time and marketed them as a 'progression.'

This is all speculative though, but it does pain me to have to ration the music by bands like Contempt, simply because, I love it so much that it could end up being played all the time. This would then lead to the CD becoming 'un-listenable.' Due to every detail being memorized, every beat imprinted so that when it hits it causes a synchronized tap or kick to coincide with it.

The music to be found on 'One Justice,' is pretty much how I imagined it to be due to the label it was released on ( www.xcatalystx.com), the time it was recorded and released (late 90s) and the band's location (Syracuse, need I say more??). Featuring one of my all time favourite songs (the title track), for little more then half an hour, Contempt brutally confront metallic hardcore, questioning the style's integrity, reminding it of its initial intent, of its initial essence and feeling,

http://www.sendspace.com/file/hgmjna - Contempt - One Justice

http://www.sendspace.com/file/3btsmu - Contempt - When Darkness Falls

http://www.sendspace.com/file/60s6mn- Contempt - Casualty Of War

http://www.sendspace.com/file/t3012g - Contempt - Burn

It's such a shame they couldn't have continued this.

Now this badboy is still in print, there are copies here http://www.verydistro.com/and here, www.xcatalystx.com/store.

From The Depths...

How does the man do it? Seriously, Justin K Broadrick is a goddamn machine. As if conceiving some of the most godly music in his primary musical vehicle, Godflesh, wasn't enough, he has also worked in and instigated equally powerful and challenging music in a series of side projects. One of the best being the mysterious but totally captivating, God, a nine man ensemble that featured Kevin Martin (Techno Animal, Pathological Records), John Zorn (Mr Bungle, Naked City), and not one, not two but three bassists (one being a double bass). The result was not simply a record, it was a musical world, drenched in the horrors of urban decay, urban struggle and urban depression.

I feel that words cannot really encompass the immensity of this band, you have to hear it for yourselves,

http://www.sendspace.com/file/7pxs9c - God - Fucked

http://www.sendspace.com/file/3g49ur - God - Lord I'm On My Way

In terms of the band's background, they debuted in 1990 with a 12 inch entitled 'Breach Birth,' then followed that up with 'Loco,' on Martin's label, but for this record, they somehow secured a deal with Virgin records, I wonder if Richard Branson was even aware of this investment?? And if anyone has any details, or stories related to this band, please, please, let me know!!! The band would go onto release one more hellish full length 'The Anatomy Of Addiction,' in 1994, and again, it was another cold, alien blast of primal human emotions that stupefied as much as it intrigued.

Unfortunately, as this record has become horribly out of print, it has also attached seriously inflated prices on the likes of http://www.ebay.com/ and the marketplace at http://www.amazon.com/, however I do recommend this record, so keep your eyes peeled on those outlets for a cheaper copy to come along, or perhaps a better move would be to root among the bargain bins in your local record stores...???

Striking Back With The New School Fury...

In theory, a compilation is an excellent concept but often in execution they fall short due to three salient factors. The first being that the tracks featured are usually (but admittedly not always) to be found on another release by the artist. Secondly, if there is a track on there that you haven’t already heard, chances are its so half baked that only the most fanatical of fans will look to own it. The final, and surely most condemning factor that plagues the compilation is consistency, if there are say, 16 to 20 tracks, how many of those are really going to be good, but more so, how many of those 16 to 20 artists are you actually going to like? Maybe 50%, and that’s if your lucky.

Now believe it or not, through the years, there have been some good compilations, such as the first two East Coast Assault collections, the Animal Truth compilation (which is so out of print, if anyone has a copy they are willing to part with, hit me up) and one known as ‘The Document,’ which emerged from Japan a few years ago. All of these (and many others) were eclipsed when this disc, fittingly titled ‘The Resurrection,’ was bought forth in 2005 and has stood as one of the best played, burned and enjoyed discs in my collection, that shows not only how good it is, but how addictive it can be.

Giving 9 bands two cuts each helps with the disc’s continuity, and even though the running time clocks in at just over 75 minutes, the quality never lets up and most importantly, the majority of the material here is exclusive to this compilation ( post release, some of the songs have gone to be featured on band’s other releases, the only exceptions though are God’s Heritage, Shiver and Canopus, however the latter 2 put out rougher versions, not the crisp, clinical cuts found here).

As you have no doubt ascertained, there is a pattern emerging with the type of Japanese bands being featured here, once again, these bands are all from the notorious 168/178 area of Tokyo and all specialize (be it in different areas) in recreating the new school sounds of mid to late 90s hardcore from both Europe and the States but as mentioned in previous posts, these bands take these foundations, modernize them and then build upon them. Take the opening cut from The Ten Commandments, their demo was total Sentence/From The Dying Sky worship and admittedly, tones of those bands linger in their newer material, but in this incarnation the band are far more bestial, far more intense and far more metal. The Ten Commandments cites Malevolent Creation as an influence and that is apparent here as their two tracks have strong ties to the first 3 MC releases (interesting to note that the band was once called Eve Of The Apocalypse).

Following that opening blitzkrieg comes The Fortress, who, despite the reference to a certain vegan band from Syracuse don’t entirely sound like them. On the contrary, this is how Earth Crisis should have sounded when they recorded Slither instead of the nu-metal abomination it turned out to be. Moving back into a more metal direction is the considerably vehement Extinguish The Fire, who have progressed considerably from their primitive beginnings where they sounded like a very slowed down Sentence. Now they are an intricate maelstrom of new school metallic fury, and trust, this shit rips live.

The final two tracks I have enclosed here from Shiver and Blood Calls We Die, the former is one of the more well known Japanese bands sounding like a more threatening, angrier version of Abnegation. Strangely, Blood Calls We Die sound more like their Godfather’s Statecraft here (particularly from their ‘Until The Darkness Is Gone,’ MCD) but I do hear some other slight influences buzzing underneath, particularly that of the Italian Vegan overlords xAbsencex.


So see what you think,

http://www.sendspace.com/file/dosdxz - The Ten Commandments - Seven Cardinal Sins

http://www.sendspace.com/file/llcax6 - The Fortress - Burn It All

http://www.sendspace.com/file/pli3el - Extinguish The Fire - Absolutely Nobody Freedom

http://www.sendspace.com/file/jnxt5m - Shiver - The Compassion

http://www.sendspace.com/file/amlk5w - Blood Calls We Die - Reveal The Truth

What I decided to do with this one was to break it into 2 posts, so the second part of the Resurrection will published early next week, giving you enough time to fully digest what is on offer here.

As far as I know this one is still readily available, so hit up www.retributionnetwork.com for a copy.

Turning Back East...

Coming from the same scene as Statecraft, Birthplace are one of the older bands from the 168/178 area of Tokyo. Like the aforementioned scene Godfathers, the latter has progressed incredibly from their primitive beginnings. Early Birthplace was much like the formative years of a child, they had energy, bundles of it in fact and they had a sense of direction but one that was fraught with distraction. This often lead to them losing their composition and form in their early material, thus making the impact less significant and their music not as strong as it should have been. However, through patience, perseverance and countless shows and practices they have blossomed into one of the finer and certainly more elegant Japanese bands on this, their first proper full length 'Ameliorate.'

The catalyst of this manifestation of elegance has been through Birthplace's masterful command of melody within their pieces. Whereas the majority of the 168/178 bands tend to not overly indulge with melody, (Endzweck being the one other exception together with Birthplace), this command that Birthplace possess stands as one of their most distinctive qualities. Their approach echoes (but doesn't mirror directly) that of Shai Hulud, a band that most will know, are exceptional in their utilization of melodic elements in that they create an entire sound where melody is rooted within. Likewise Birthplace are able to, like Hulud, immerse their melodies so that they are not an external connection to the music but are wholly integrated to become a key component of the musical flow. Another asset to Birthplace is their vocalist, Knight. His powerful bellow is somehow able to naturally fit into whatever stage the music moves to, be it a moment of calm introspection or brute force, never once sounding unnatural or forced,

http://www.sendspace.com/file/9pm0ny - Birthplace - From The Neverending

http://www.sendspace.com/file/utupby - Birthplace - Not Wither

http://www.sendspace.com/file/90861i - Birthplace - Swell the Bliss

http://www.sendspace.com/file/8xcy6b - Birthplace - On Oath

Seeing Birthplace last year at the Bloodaxe fest in Tokyo was incredible, their songs were already extremely vibrant on CD, but live it was an inferno and the small room convulsed with excitement throughout their way too brief set

Tracking down a copy of this record is not only worth it but shouldn't be overtly taxing, try the band's site here - www.myspace.com/birthplace or hit up http://www.retributionnetwork.com/ and ask xHirox if he has any copies or can get you one.

Things Take A Turn...

Well, I'm really honoured and extremely delighted to announce that I will be joining the ranks of the extremly awesome www.digitalmetal.com, look out for my first reviews in the next weeks, I cannot wait, this will not be having an impact on No Need To Belong, it will be still updated on a regular basis.

Sworn To The Black

Pulling a late one here, I try not to work on this on weekends but as I am now facing a back log of posts which are fast piling up, I thought I'd get this treat out before resuming the regular schedule tomorrow.

This release typifies my current mood, its groggy, groaning, miserable and very edgy, you'd think by now, nearly being 24, I'd be able to withstand at least one really late night a week, but no, my body still seems to be unable to give me the luxury of a lay in to recuperate and enjoy my Sunday in a comfortable, ma la vita va cosi...

Now as stressed in the previous black metal post on Ohtar, I adore the suicidal, depressive black metal that took root through Burzum's first 4 records, now whilst also having a great affection for the more merciless, ripping black metal out there, the artists that create this noise is what really affects me, what really connects with me. Now Wigrid's debut album reared its ugly head back around 2002/2003 on the awesome http://www.no-colours-records.de/, my gut tells me it came out in 2002, but it took me a long time to get my hands on a copy. It was worth the wait, like its kindred spirits coming out at the time, i.e. Xasthur, Leviathan et al, Hoffnungstod was bleak, dirgey and horribly misanthropic. The German lyrics and tongue add to the morbid feeling of the record I can only speculate what Ulfhednir was wretchedly cursing but as German is one of the heavier (if not the heaviest) European language, I can imagine that his lyrics were filled, in fact, crammed with utterly hateful annunciations of mankind.

So if you can speak German, maybe you could validate my assumption here, otherwise, simply feel the darkness,

http://www.sendspace.com/file/m8200u - Wigrid - Die Entstehung

http://www.sendspace.com/file/mf2vnm - Wigrid - Schreie Der Verzweiflung

I find this record a good accompaniment for reading, not as background music but to enhance my concentration and immersion within the material, (its helping me overcome the novels of Proust, a truly toiling (but worthy) effort that require you integrate yourself into Proust's world so that you can comprehend it but also so you don't switch off from it because it is detailed).

Now this record is readily available from the label, and http://www.aquariusrecords.org/ is still listing it here, http://www.aquariusrecords.org/bin/search.cgi.

The Blast From The North

Canvas were a pretty crazy band. Whether it was their demographic lodging that was responsible for this (they were from Leeds you know...) or they were just a little maladjusted, little can explain the outright insanity of their releases. This CD was a collection of sorts, compiling early EPS that were recorded by the erratic Dave Chang, but as Andrew mentioned in his Decimate post on his blog (http://www.aversionline.com/, check that shit people), when that guy got his production job on the spot, it was crushing, just as it is here.

Despite this, and the quality of the material here, this has to be one of the most frustrating CDs that I have in my collection. Of the 10 tracks listed on the CD, 3 are noisy, and in my view, superfluous skits, that add absolutely nothing to the flow of the material, there are just there. Furthermore, another track is a slight remix of the first track featured here, so in the end, there are only 6 actual tracks to enjoy here and that's no way near enough. The quality of the material then heightens the sense of travesty and annoyance as these tracks are complete monsters, crammed to the rim with slamming, not to mention razor sharp riffs, which have a glorious crunch that is potently bought forth through the recording. Then there's the vocalist, maronna santa, if that guy is even able to put together a sentence today I'd be surprised, the damage he must have done to his vocal chords,

http://www.sendspace.com/file/uhwbs4 - Canvas - Unworthy Of Perfection

http://www.sendspace.com/file/oajyxx - Canvas - Last Prayer For Judas

http://www.sendspace.com/file/242qj8 - Canvas - Unworthy Version 6.66

For some reason, I never saw Canvas. I knew they were around but I only heard about them upon the follow up full length Lost In Rock's release. That record saw Canvas metamorphosis into something totally different to the band here, exploring some very peculiar tangents and writing songs that were again, demented. Some of the nastiness from their early incarnation remained but was restricted and reduced in presence, replaced by longer more elaborate songs. Although I appreciated the bravery Canvas had to make Lost In Rock, even today, six years since I bought the two records together, I still can't decide whether I actually like that CD, especially when measured up to this.

Now this is readily available, and for stupid prices (1 cent), as is Lost In Rock, so if you like it, get that shit in your collection, http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_m/104-4492477-3459918?url=search-alias%3Dpopular&field-keywords=canvas.

Tracing the roots...

Tracking the mutation of a record label is an interesting endeavor, it can often give one a map or perhaps a better word is a snapshot of a musical environment from a given time. For example Equal Vision was one of the best hardcore labels, and I feel there is no need to do a laundry list of the various luminaries that graced their roster during the 90s and early 2000s. The fact that Equal Vision is now so far removed from hardcore stimulates two hypothesis in my mind. Either they felt that the scene and the bands were on the verge of becoming stagnant and decided to jump ship before the rot set in too thickly, hence their shift in focus to indie/experimental/alt bands. Or they felt that hardcore wasn't generating enough capital and felt that it was time to change their portfolio to save the label.

Perhaps its a little of both or perhaps I'm completely off the mark but one thing I will say in Equal Vision's defence is that they have always looked to sign bands that were distinctive and doing something a little different, and not just sign any old shite (not that I like all of their recent signings). Secondly, they have maintained their excellent aesthetic values with packaging (which really begin to evolve in the late 90s with seminal examples by Converge and Bane). Anyway, as per usual, I'm digressing here, my point here is that labels (like bands) change, and whilst this observation isn't the most astute, what I find interesting is the level of change that a label undergoes. To contextualize my Equal Vision example, lets take a label such as Relapse. Now, Relapse have focused on metal of the extreme nature since its inception, and whilst they have been broadening their palette in recent years, they do tend to stick to music that they know, that they are comfortable with and that is inherently metal but most importantly is inherently Relapse. Whereas Equal Vision have all but abandoned the music that they began with (although I realize that they have recently acquired Modern Life Is War).

This brings me to a label that I have been fascinated by in its shift of musical portfolio, Eulogy, who have gone from releasing New School/Emotional Metallic Hardcore and Emo to focusing purely on tough, moshy bands such as Shattered Realm, Hoods, Bury Your Dead etc, etc, etc!
I have been monitoring Eulogy's activity since around 2000 and became infatuated with the label through the releases by Red Roses For A Blue Lady and then a little later with Unearth and This Day Forward. Whilst in Belgium in 2002, someone (I cannot for the life of me remember who) told me about Upheaval, that I had to hear them and especially the first MCD, released by...you guessed it, Eulogy.

Perhaps not as heralded as some of the other vegan straight edge bands of the time (particularly Day Of Suffering and Morning Again), Upheaval do deserve recognition and credit for the style of music they were playing. They had a really strong grasp and blended well the new school hardcore with tints and hints of black and death metal, so see what you think,

http://www.sendspace.com/file/2qlt0t - Upheaval - Forced Into Extinction

http://www.sendspace.com/file/k9zy27 - Upheaval - Suffering Of The Masses

http://www.sendspace.com/file/g0e65t - Upheaval - The Descending Path

http://www.sendspace.com/file/j78kai - Upheaval - Blood Ritual

http://www.sendspace.com/file/43nngz - Upheaval - Abhorrent Traditions

They would become even more metal on the following full length (which was also brilliant), Testimony To The Atrocities on the very metal, Willowtip.

Both of the Upheaval releases are long out of print, so it pains me to once again offer http://www.ebay.com/ as your first source for looking, I searched around the main distros but came became empty handed I'm afraid, hence why I have posted the whole MCD up here, so enjoy!

Scroll Down cuz

All mp3s from the first 2 posts are back now, so get downloadin and leavin feedback for Above All and Loyal To The Grave ;)

The Search For Sleep

Some time ago I developed the tendency that unless I put music on before going to sleep, I will lay awake half the night trying real hard to do so. Of course there have been times when I have attempted to do so, and even when my fatigue was so potent that my body just ached to sleep, I simply couldn't, not without music. Strange, but also amusing how we develop these needs, these dependencies and habits. However, to make the quandary even more of an ordeal, I find that I can only fall asleep to certain types of music. If its of the hardcore or metal genealogy, forget it, sleep will be nigh on possible to achieve, it has to be something gentler, more soothing, enter Jessica Bailiff.

Again, another Kranky gem, this gorgeous siren released a pair of ethereal records in 98 and 99, these being 'Even In Silence,' and the one featured here, 'Hour Of The Trace.' To me these have remained her finest work, although I have thoroughly enjoyed her last 2 records, and her collaborative project Clear Horizon with Dave Pearce (of the totally brilliant Flying Saucer Attack) from 2003. Still, those first 2 records, have endeared me the most through the years and have often been a popular choice when deciding what record is needed to lull me into slumber.

Musically, Bailiff occupied a fine line between gentle acoustic driven material and lush, shoe gazing drifts ala My Bloody Valentine and other early 90s luminaries such as Ride, Slowdive et al. 'Toska,' is one of her most beautiful songs that she has ever written, its glacial tones cradle and carry her voice which is buried amid minimal strumming. The spirit of My Bloody Valentine duly possesses the bones of 'After Hours,' a drugged out mantra that stealthily slides throughout its duration whilst Bailiff's voice again lingers in the ether of the track's drones. The final track I have chosen here, 'Amnesia,' is a stumbling search through the fabrics of time itself, Bailiff sounds encased inside the ghostly guitar melodies as if she herself is looking to recover her memory.

Now you decide whether my descriptions resemble the music,

http://www.sendspace.com/file/s4nt4y - Jessica Bailiff - Toska

http://www.sendspace.com/file/f5p7cw - Jessica Bailiff - After Hours

http://www.sendspace.com/file/fw8gko - Jessica Bailiff - Amnesia

All of Bailiff's records (and the Clear Horizon record, which if you like this, then I recommend) are readily available (and through paypal) here, http://www.kranky.net/, and there are some used copies here, http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_m/104-1758773-0703147?url=search-alias%3Dpopular&field-keywords=Jessica+Bailiff+.

Her last record 'Feels Like Home,' came out last year, four years after the self titled, hopefully she will bring forth more ghostly tales soon.

Slowly but surely

It's all coming together now, I'd just like to thank those who have posted thus far, its greatly appreciated and interesting to hear your thoughts! Keep em coming and don't hold back, I want to hear all your views ;)

Got some good stuff uploaded for this week, so hold tight, and I am still toying with this blogger layout, so that will be changing too!!!

I forgot to say this earlier, my first two posts are missing some tunes, so these will be going back up either tonight or first thing tomorrow!

The Sickness Will End

This has been one of the most elusive records (another one right?) that I have sought in recent times. Although the search was not as lengthy as that for the Caliban EP (or as costly) I finally managed to acquire but I finally managed to acquire a copy and am delighted to post it and more importantly, share it here. When the package containing the CD arrived I was consumed with excitement (lucky me, the package also featured other rarities such as the first Soulstice 7 inch, the Prevail 7 inch and the first Aftershock CD ahhhhhhhhh). So after gleefully ripping through the parcel I was bound to be confronted with that queasy, unwelcome feeling in the stomach known as disappointment.

But why? Especially as the CD hadn't even been played yet.

Firstly it was in a cardboard sleeve, now I cannot stress this enough but I detest, actually, I loathe cardboard sleeves. Secondly, upon scanning the track list I immediately noted that two of the songs I'd already heard (these being from the decidedly more metallic and heavier full length 'Deeper Than Blood' which followed). Upon regaining my composure from these unexpected (read unwanted) surprises, I deemed it best to play it, to see if it would be ending up on eBay at the moment.

From the first riff, this thought vanished and a smile returned to my face, thinking 'why did I question that the music would be anticlimactic?', and thus, since its day of arrival, 'The Sickness Must End,' has been glued to my CD player, itunes etc. This EP was typical of the mid 90s xLifesentencex output, i.e. heavy handed hardcore, with a healthy presence of hefty metallic crunch and song writing that was utterly infectious and became lodged within the grey matter instantly.

So, see what you think,

http://www.sendspace.com/file/ua5ico -xClearx - Acetone

http://www.sendspace.com/file/fbnwbm - xClearx - Fuel

http://www.sendspace.com/file/veg4t1 - xClearx - Falling Into Ashes

http://www.sendspace.com/file/oyxh9p - xClearx - Lust

http://www.sendspace.com/file/pc42nj - xClearx - Fire Walk With Me

Sadly I know very little of this band and what became of them, I did hear that they recently played a reunion show this year but whether they will reform is unknown. What I do know is that the aforementioned full length that preceded this EP was released on Stillborn records. The two songs here present on that release were 'Falling Into Ashes,' and 'Fire Walk With Me.' Again as mentioned above 'Deeper Than Blood,' was far heavier, strapped with far more vicious riffs and vocals and was overall injected with an unhealthy metallic dosage thus pushing it quite far away from the foundations laid down here.

However, like this EP, 'Deeper Than Blood,' is very elusive and a chore to find, so unfortunately I have to resort to recommending that you watch http://www.ebay.com/, but if your in Europe, or if you don't mind paying a little for it (if your Stateside), then you can try this http://www.pyrrhus.be/scripts/prodView.asp?idproduct=180846.

But I warn you, this Belgian distro sometimes lists items that they don't have, or that they sell before fulfilling your order, 80% of the time they are reliable and are very friendly but seeing as its a two man operation, I can see how an order can get neglected, so perhaps it would be best to contact them in advance before putting that order in.

The only other alternative I can offer in finding the full length or the EP is to track down Dan Gump, the owner of xLifesentencex, the problem is that the label site has been down for some time, so maybe you could stalk him out on myspace (if your really that desperate...).