Pass Out

A few weeks/months ago I posted about a demo from a new band out of Chicago called Gas Rag.  That demo was very good and seemed to be getting a lot of attention too.  Here is the band's first EP, 'Human Rights.'  The songs here were recorded during the same session as the demo so naturally they have a very similar sound/style to those songs.  I have a hard time describing this band.  It's fast hardcore punk played by degenerate glue-sniffers.  That's my take on it anyway.  I was able to score the red vinyl, out of 100 copies.  Beach Impediment Records.

Still Altered

2012 saw the release of an awesome EP by New Jerseys' Altered Boys on Katorga Works. This year we get another new release on Deranged Records.  Very similar to the last record and demo, they play stripped down, raw early 2000's influenced hardcore.  I think I actually like this release better than the first EP and that's saying a lot.  Hopefully this band records an LP soon, as I'm sure they will only get better with each release.

Positive PV?

Positive PV - is there such a thing?  I sure hope not and I think the UK's Gets Worse would agree.  Featuring members of grind giants The Afternoon Gentlemen, here is the band's newest EP 'Negative' released on Hygiene Records and Evil Purple Bastard.  As you guessed, this band plays a very negative brand of powerviolence, but hints of the members' other bands does seep through at times - mainly with the double bass blast beats.  Another SOLID release from Hygiene Records who also dropped the Abuse 7" on us (which I somehow forgot to post.  That's coming soon.)  I need to pick up the band's self titled 10" from last year, but shipping from Europe sucks sometimes.

No Control

Another Extortion record to add to my collection.  This is the band's 'Control' EP released on Deep Six Records.  Some of their best stuff if you ask me.  If you've been living under a rock, they're from Australia and pretty fasctore/powerviolence hugely influenced by Infest and the rest of the greats.

Clear orange vinyl from the first pressing, limited to 500 I believe.

Can't Waste Love

California Love is more than just a rad 2Pac/Dre song.  Exisiting from the mid 2000's until recently (I'm almost positive they're now inactive) the band released two great LP's, a split with Gehenna and a 7" - I'm sure there's a demo and/or something else I'm missing too.  This is their first LP, 'Can't Waste Death,' released on the band's own Calilove Records.  Crust/grind/powerviolence is the band's style, and they rarely stray away from that on any of their recordings.  This band really is the definition of the word grimy when referring to music.  I won this record recently on eBay for stupid cheap (possibly because it was listed as "California Live"?) which is awesome for me.  I know at least two variations of this record exist.  The one I have here, and another with the same cover but the orange parts are screened in blue.

Not sure on pressing numbers.

Corrupt Torture

Bass and drum powerviolence isn't something that sounds too interesting.  With that said, there are some recent bands that do it pretty well considering the lack of guitar in the mix.  Buffalo's Water Torture are probably the best representation of this style that I've ever heard.  On this single-sided split with Corrupt Bastards, Water Torture brings one new original and one cover by the almighty SIEGE.  What was once a two piece has now formed into a three piece with TWO bassists - still no guitar (however I know they have recorded songs with  electric guitar on them).  The new song is pretty typical of the band and the cover is actually one of the slower Siege songs, but is really well done.  Corrupt Bastards follows with 5 tracks of fast bass/drum pv.  This is an interesting take on the bass/drum sound as there doesn't appear to be any type of distortion on the bass.  So it just sounds like drums, vocals, and a normal low-end bass.  Kind of odd but I do like their songs on here, but I think this band would actually benefit from having a guitar in the mix.

Released on Mannequin Rein Records, this is the more common variant on purple marble, numbered out of 311 copies.

Skinjob

Yet another LP I've been waiting for for what seems like forever.  Hatred Surge's latest effort 'Human Overdose' put out on Iron Lung Records.  There are so many things I want to say about this record, but I just don't know how.  By now you're probably (at least) aware of this Texas band.  There have been many incarnations of this band, but one constant driving force is Alex Hughes.  At one point this was a one man band with Hughes filling every position, but now there are three members filling the ranks.  I've always been a big fan of the Surge so I'm not sure if the two additional members had any influence on the songwriting here, but this is some of the band's best material.  This record has more of an old school death/grind influence to it, as opposed to the powerviolence influence.  Those elements are still present but overall I'd consider this more metal oriented.  I read a description on the VLV board that represents this record better than anything I could put into words. "It sounds like a bunch of old Earache bands thrown into a blender."  That's honestly what this sounds like, and I love it.  Top of the year list for sure.

My copy came on this pinkish red color.  I've also heard of others getting black copies.  Also take note of the awesome Daniel Shaw artwork.  Killer.

Crossbreaker

So far this year has been great for new full lengths.  Just to name a few: The Rival Mob, Violent Reaction, Integrity, and now Power Trip.  With Southern Lord at the helm, this release screams quality.  From the music, to the art, to the packaging, this is all top notch.  If you're not in the know, Power Trip is from Texas and plays a style of crossover thrash reminiscent of Nuclear Assault, D.R.I., etc.  'Manifest Decimation' is the band's first full length following two EPs, a demo, and some comp tracks.  A serious rager of an LP.

The first 500 copies were on red vinyl.

On the Run

Another post, another killer record from a UK band.  This time it's THE FLEX with their debut 7" 'Scum On The Run,' a split release by Video Disease Records and Milk Run Records.  Featuring Tom Pimlott of Violent Reaction fame on drums, this band doesn't sound too far off from them.  A healthy mixture of US/UK82 hardcore done well.  I liked the demo tape, but this is leagues better.  Limited to 600 all on red.

Sorry for that middle picture gang, that looks really shitty and I'm too lazy to take another.

Snake Suicide

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't excited when I heard there was going to be a new Integrity LP in 2013.  When details about the release started to come together like the title 'Suicide Black Snake' and the art, I grew impatient and felt like I needed the record immediately.  Fast forward a few months and A389 Records put up preorders for the record with two different color variants - gray and "fireball", both of which were limited to 100.  I made sure to be on their site right as preorders went up so I could grab the fireball variant, and it's good I did because both colors seemed to sell out really quick.  Fast forward a few more weeks and the record shows up in the mail.  I made it a point to avoid listening to any streams/rips/whatever before receiving my copy.  I wanted it to be completely fresh when I listened to it the first time, and wanted to go into it without any bias.  I'm glad I did.

Throw out any notion that this band has overstayed its welcome.  Stop with things like, "Dwid and his scab lineup that plays in Integrity nowadays."  This LP is downright awesome.  Robb Orr has some seriously great riffs up his sleeve.  Dwid's voice sounds as good as ever.  And the recording is perfect for this record.  Some of the songs are re-recorded from previous releases with Orr on them, but I'm fine with that because those songs have some rough recordings and they get a good treatment on this release.  There are a few new elements in some of these songs too.  A small harmonica part being one, which then leads into a bluesy riff.  I'm far from being a good music reviewer, so I'll move on to the pictures.

An awesome gatefold layout with the clear/invisible ink that has become the norm for the band.

New Old Songs

Here is the recent EP 'Days Turn Black'  put out on Draw Blank Records for Infest's few reunion shows.  The songs here are leftovers from the 'No Man's Slave' era - which is the band at their prime (in my opinion.)  That being said, you can tell these songs are leftovers.  Not that they are bad, I mean c'mon, even bad Infest is good Infest, but they are not up to par with the rest of that record.  What you get are two standard Infest songs, one jazzy song, (seriously) and a Negative Approach cover.  I don't want it to sound like I think this sucks because I don't.  I love this band and am always glad to add some of their records to my collection.

Seeing as how this thing was going for around $50 immediately after their set at Maryland Death Fest, the band decided to put some up on eBay with cheap buy it now prices.  I jumped at the chance to snag a copy.  This is the pre-press with blank labels.  I believe a regular pressing is on the way.

What's with bands printing credits on the INSIDE of a pocket sleeve?  Not a big fan of that.

Leech

Vile Intent is a band I've been following for a few years now.  Their demo was pretty good, but the 'Shadow of the Skull' and 'Regression to the Mean' EP's that came after just blew it (the demo) away.  This new EP, 'Skin In the Game,' is no different.  I believe this was originally a tape release put out by the band themselves, but Diseased Audio and Choking Hazard Records took it upon themselves to release it on the superior format.  The music on display here is best described as filthy powerviolence.  I don't know how else to describe it.  Check it out if you're into PV, fast hardcore, or hardcore in general.

All copies pressed on black, limited to 600 copies.

Pig Mindset

A fitting follow up post to my last one, here is Despise You's self titled 7" put out on Pessimiser Records and Theologian Records.  Very similar to Crossed Out in that they play(ed) the stop/start style of powerviolence, but also incorporated the alternating male/female vocals that became popular later on.  Along with Lack of Interest, I'd say that Despise You were among the top bands of the second wave of powerviolence.

He-Man

Crossed Out.  One of the original wave of powerviolence bands to come out in the early 90's.  Crossed Out pioneered the stop/start style of PV that so many bands take influence from today.  Often mimicked, NEVER duplicated.  Top notch stuff by one of the greats.

This is a record I've wanted for a long time, and a boot just wouldn't do.  So of course when I saw an original Slap A Ham pressing pop up on eBay a few weeks back it had to be mine.  In the end I did win (obviously) so all is right in the world.  This is a first press as evidenced by the large (sometimes 15-20 seconds) gaps between songs.  The bootleg that was released doesn't have the gaps.