MA TURNER

It's Halloween, so you can play these sounds in your haunted house. Or you can just turn off the lights and turn up the volume and your world will become a haunted house. You get to choose, I'm only here to help.

RANKING DRIVER

A fine offering from our friends at Nostilevo.

CLOVIS

In early '90s Oklahoma, seeing bands like this were no different to me than seeing NAKED AGGRESSION in a living room. I grew up with no access to live music so I devoured it all with equal hunger. CLOVIS were from Oklahoma City and meandered through proto-grunge with a Dischord wisdom. The singer was the dude I mentioned in the ANGRY SON post a few years ago who may or may not have been ditched in California, and I'm pretty sure that LUNGFISH played in his house in 1992 or something and I didn't go with my roommate Todd because I had something else to do. So yeah, that was stupid.

CLOVIS

L.O.T.I.O.N.

Throbbing industrial beats with swarms of blown out distortion and vocals from the depths of a smoke machine. Simple in their approach but flawless in their execution, L.O.T.I.O.N. breathe death into dark and aggressive electronic music - which should come as no surprise when you think about what the members have done to the other subgenres they have visited. If you want to jump on another bandwagon, that's totally up to you but punks take note: If you want to jump on this bandwagon, then L.O.T.I.O.N. is your bar...and your bar has been set high.

LEGACY OF TERROR IN OCCUPIED NATIONS

FUCKBOYZ

Listening to this 1989 demo, you just have to shake your head at how advanced these Florida teens really were. Whether it's the infectious garage punk song craft of "Hallucinating," the opener with hooks that could fall in line with the best Reatard-esque bangers, or the SAMHAIN worship that is "Full Of Sin," or even the DRAMARAMA styled "alt-rock love songs played by ex punkers vibe" of the tape's final track "Think Of Me" (no way this one should have been conceived of or delivered by people this early in their journey down the rock 'n roll highway), FUCKBOYZ were way better at doing whatever they wanted than they had any right to be. The mountain of musical contributions that the core of this band would bestow upon us in the years that followed is well documented (YOGURT, HICKEY, LUDICRA, MIAMI, WORM OUROBOROS), and perhaps this recording lacks a little bit of focus but while you dissect and get overly critical, I'm gonna jam the shit out of these tracks today. Repeatedly.

FUCKBOYZ

LORD FIST

Sometimes you need sounds like this. And sometimes that time is right fukkn now. Thankfully, for times like this, we have bands like LORD FIST. Fist in the air, driving heavy metal music that sounds like it comes from another place and time (or perhaps a place in time). You can soar with the vocals, fly with the leads, or pound out the beat on the steering wheel, but when "Chains Of Steel" starts you will know that you are listening to heavy metal music. Like Jake E. Lee-era OZZY. Or DIO. You know, heavy metal music.

SPARK FOR NIGHT

HOUSE OF BREATH

You should know what you are getting from the opening bass drum thumps - even though there are no other sounds in the mix, somehow the mood is set immediately. MISSION/SISTERS meets early CURE from the guitars, and Eldritch by way of Peter Murphy vocals....those are lofty comparisons to be sure, but HOUSE OF BREATH have earned them on this demo. This demo should the standard for the current wave of '80s retro goth, darkwave and/or goth punk band cropping up - if you are going to ape some old shit, then you need to do it right.  HOUSE OF BREATH is 100% derivative, but they are also 100% on point, so they can ape this shit all the way through this demo and the next one for all I care....because the shit is done right. 

HOUSE OF BREATH

SYSTEM DEFECTOR

This is not raw punk as fashion, SYSTEM DEFECTOR are a crude and deliberate attack that cuts with the precision of a dull rusty scythe. True mutant punk, lumbering with complete determination....the two riffs of "Protest" are almost comically simple but still seem like a struggle. But life is a struggle, so I can't see why punk should be any different.

SYSTEM DEFECTOR

ICONOCLAST

Shouldn't really need an introduction today, as ICONOCLAST should already be on your radar...but I'm here just in case. Screaming bare bones 1983 hardcore punk drawing from DISCHARGE, CRUCIFIX without ever completely abandoning snotty Southern California punk (it's the inclusion of that last element that makes them so crucial to my ears). Buzzsaw guitars, vocals that personify teen angst from the land of the Valley Girl....and in the time of Valley Girl, the angst is not hard to imagine. Lyrics follow the DIS-themes of war, death, injustice and general destruction, and "Death Race" is the best song I will listen to today. 

ICONOCLAST

SECAM KINO

Dark, sparse industrial drones. SECAM KINO excel when they inject beats into the mix ("Full Tab," "New Doctrines"), but perhaps it's the anxiety of waiting that makes those rhythms so enchanting. Extreme patience required for maximum effect, you need to let these sounds guide you....they already have a destination in mind.

DILETTANTE RECITAL

D.S.F.A.

Feisty hardcore/thrash from Modesto. Not familiar with Modesto? I don't want to malign the meth infested outlying Bay Area hamlet, but suffice to say it's never been a hotbed for punk - the punks smart enough to know better tend to hit the road for SF or Oakland as soon as they are able. But thankfully for us these dudes stuck it out to crank out this 13 song banger, and it fukkn rips. Early '80s vibe, harnessing early SUICIDAL and MDC and dropping one screaming track after another. Songs like "Family's Only Family" are undiscovered classics, just top notch California hardcore...apparently the late '80s weren't a total void?

WHY SHOULD IT?

COLLIGERE

How many different sounds can be accurately described as "hardcore"? It seems like an endless number, and yet that's how I describe Brasil's COLLIGERE. The meat of the songs are super charged juggernauts; hardcore rage with a US straight edge energy and catchy (almost poppy) palm muting, but the vocals are pure '90s emotional hardcore...the combination works really well. Only three tracks here, that will likely serve as an introduction to a band you will want to hear more from.

CAUSE LOVE AND PLEASURE ARE HIGHER THAN DECEPTION ANYWAY

RAKTA tour of the West Coast starts tonight in SF at El Rio with MANE and INTERIOR 27. 

I am exceptionally excited to have them on this coast...

CONFUSIONE

"Everything Louder Than Everything Else" is a phrase attributed to one specific band, but Italy's CONFUSIONE seem to have borrowed the mantra for this tape. Tracks from a few early '00s vinyl releases and live shows, they rip through a few dozen bangers in just under an hour, catchy fast hardcore mingling with amped up melodic Eurocrust and blistering fastcore with a more than casual nod to their contrymen form the '80s - and everything pegged in the red for added intensity. The live tracks show a band that I would love to see in person, maximum energy without sacrificing chops and an excellent partner for the blown out studio tracks that make up half of the tape. 40+ songs in all, and I'm virtually certain that I fukkd up the titles somewhere along the line...I would apologize if I was actually sorry, but I was chair moshing too hard to really care.

CONFUSIONE

ATRAKO

I snagged this from Irv a few days before he went to jail on some bullshit last year (he's a free man today, as he should be), and lagged super hard on sharing it with you. ATRAKO is like the a bridge between the energy of early '00 fast hardcore bands from LA (HIT ME BACK, LIFES HALT, TRAGATELO) and the scene that cropped up around South Central several years later (RAYOS X, TUBERCULOSIS) - fast, driving hardcore punk with manic drums, crazy hooks and distant, strained high pitched vocals. No song titles, no artwork, just nine killer bangers with an honesty that cannot be faked (pay special attention to tracks six and seven). Sorry you had to wait so long, but I can assure you it was worth it.

ATRAKO

PARENTAL ADVISORY // NO PREJUDICE

Screaming raw fastcore/grind from PARENTAL ADVISORY - this outfit would have been completely at home on one of the Cry Now, Cry Later comps. NO PREJUDICE are next level dual vocal raw hc/grind (light on the low growls though), and their tracks from this split are live which accentuates the "raw" part of the description. "Festa Da Exploração" and "Não Seja Um Robó" are the standouts if only because NO PREJUDICE slow the pace to a steady BONE AWL paced stomp. Zero nuance from either band, just an all out blast, which is exactly what I needed this morning. These sounds come from Brasil, sometime in the late '90s.

ATTACK THE OPRESSION

GAS CHAMBER

I've been sitting on this one for far too long. Started to post it more than once, but the words never seemed right so I opted for something easier. GAS CHAMBER is not easy, not simple. GAS CHAMBER is deep, visceral, and intense beyond words. This year's Hemorrhaging Light LP on Iron Lung defies description, it is a revolutionary collection of sound that transcends mere hardcore music. So it should not be surprising that this cassette collection that was released before the LP, a series of interludes, compositions (and one banging single), is a total stunner. The two pieces that make up "Prone" set the stage for the remainder of Kairos Will Erase, prolonged ambience exploding into massive bursts of advanced hardcore. Goosebump inducing vocals and bass flanged to oblivion, driving the recording (indeed the whole band) through treacherous twists that would have most outfits stumbling over their own fingers. For me, this tape is all about the noise... "IX" and "X" take up over 25 minutes, and it's that sparse, anxious intermission that makes this presentation of the Corpse With Levity EP (presented here in the same form as the vinyl release) seem wholly different than the first time I listened to it cold. The list of bands that can make so many different sounds and styles all feel like they belong is very short, and this band is at the top. Trying to describe the music is hard enough...but describing the power is impossible. Without question, GAS CHAMBER are among the most intense live bands I have ever seen, but this tape will hold you over until you become one of the The Fortunate Ones.

KAIROS WILL ERASE

Physical copies from Peterwalkee Records

NO.NEGATIVE

A stunning collection of sounds from this Montreal outfit, album blanc is absolute perfection in the increasingly polluted sea of retro sounding dark punk. A vibe that's somewhere between raw garage and angular energetic post punk fronted by a screaming all encompassing guitar. The music is filthy, but it sinks into you like the good bands do...and NO.NEGATIVE are very very good at getting under your skin. Some people like lazy musical comparisons, so here you go: PERE UBU, DASHER, STOOGES, DKs, BIRTHDAY PARTY. This banger came to me from a place far outside of my aural comfort zone, and won me over instantly. Prepare yourself.

album blanc

ANIMALIA

Six bursts of simple, raw and ferocious Spanish language punk. Three chords, rarely more than two riffs per song - these kids just bash out the basics and it rules. "Utopia" is the banger, actual desperation transformed into sound...proof that sometimes keeping it simple is a good idea. Members of ESKE for those who pay attention to that special brand of hardcore from Chicago.

ES SER HUMANO...ES EL ANIMAL MAS CRUEL

THE DEATH

Second track reminds me of THE DEAD MILKMEN (it's the meandering bass line that does it), and the vocals sound like GRUMPIES, and sometimes (just sometimes) the reverbed guitar sounds like a more surfy East Bay Ray - so yeah, I'm sold. Dreamy and endearing garage punk with a laid back vibe and a penchant for irreverent hooks. I feel like THE DEATH would thrive in the Midwest pop/garage scene, but hopefully they play with hardcore bands when they are at home in Japan. "Reality Or Fantasy" is the angular jerky weirdo jam of the week...in case you were wondering. This one keeps growing with repeat listens.

THE DEATH

FISSURE

Maximum fukkd blown out blasting hardcore. Full frontal intensity from these So Cal kids, with a healthy emphasis placed on creating a mood and then crushing it (I'm talking about "It's Practically Worthless" here). I'm sure they get lumped mindlessly with a new wave of PV bands dotting the aural landscape and that's not unjustified, but FISSURE's approach has more in common with HHIG than a bunch of bros throwing a mosh in between a few blasts (I'm talking "Frozen Spit" here). Saw it live a few months back and was quite pleased....next time will be even better after fully digesting the sounds. 

 SALVACIÓN//DESTRUCCION

SPINE SCAVENGER

A welcome Chondritic Sound reissue of SPINE SCAVENGER's 2008 cassette release, Pigs. The 14+ minute title track alone is a mind melting exercise in sound - layers of monotonous synths assaulted by waves of noise, descending into sparse analog manipulations. The remaining missives are like an extended cool down from the opening composition, more reserved and almost soothing...until "The Embryo" scrapes nine minutes of looped abrasion across your face. The sound is primitive, the execution is superb.

PIGS

PURE DISGUST

Just one of the killer DC demos I snagged on the NO STATIK tour last winter. I remember holding up the stack and Nick just went "That's 2013, a year of DC hardcore," and he was right. Not a clunker in the bunch (NUCLEAR AGE and CORRECTION have already stopped by The Escape), and each one has a slightly different feel - as if the same crew of kids tried to make each of their bands distinct. So I guess PURE DISGUST is the kinda street punk/hardcore hybrid, with marbly vocals and amped up Oi! riffing (things that go together extremely well, apparently). Five bangers in under eight minutes, and the intro "Blind To Race" smokes anything on Don't Forget The Struggle, Don't Forget The Streets (which I listened to for the first time ever tonight on my way home from work - true story, good record), while the second half of the song goes somewhere...well, somewhere else.

PURE DISGUST

Apologies for the fuckup on yesterday's NO STAND CREW link, even Wizards make mistakes. 

It has been repaired. 

NO STAND CREW

Hyper posi late '90s youth crew from Brasil. Two demos here (I've been pretty generous with the jams this week, no?): the slightly more produced and clangy bass guitar driven Live Fast Di Young from 1998 and the previous year's Barulho Tapes Songs which is rougher, tinnier and way more awesome. This band is like an intercontinental bridge between 7 SECONDS and OUTLAST.

LIVE FAST DI YOUNG // BARULHO TAPES SONGS

GALDR

I feel like this is what I think black metal sounds like: bleak and depressive with tortured melodies and distant howls desperately saying something about vikings or some shit. Plodding, hypnotic anthems you can get lost in. Like you're in a forest or some shit. Maybe I'm wrong, but I thought that vikings and forests and torture are pretty black metal? No?

ANCIENT LIGHTS FROM THE STARS

SEE YOU IN HELL // HOMO CONSUMENS

SEE YOU IN HELL ended a West Coast tour in Oakland last year. They were good - like really good. Still kinda confuses me that people don't shit themselves over this outfit - crushing hc/crust with blistering metal drums and a whirlwind guitar that goes from borderline mince-meets-metalcore on the early recordings to screaming melodic Japanese influenced mania on the last few releases. HOMO CONSUMENS rip through 20+ tracks of rapid fire gruff Czeck punk teetering on the edge of falling apart at almost all times. I actually prefer HOIMO CONSUMENS on this tape, but it might be because I like the later releases from SYIH (see below).

SEE YOU IN HELL // HOMO CONSUMENS

From 2002 to 2012, the Jed LP is the realization of more than a decade together - and you'd best realize that this band is a bulldozer. Drums are a constant double bass frenzy and the riffs hurt your brain if you think about them too much...these are advanced sounds that require maximum focus  because they deliver maximum destruction. Crushing and bleak...you get two today because I like you.

JED

STEFAN TCHEREPIN & CHRISTOPHER DeLAURENTI

Primitive analog power electronics. Nothing more, nothing less. Fans of the genre will eat this up, while hardcore and punk purists will simply not understand. I'm not saying that I do understand, I'm just saying that a whole shitheap of people definitely won't. I'm also saying that I like these sounds.

BLEED THE CAPACITORS: HEAVY ANALOG ELECTRONICS vols. 2 & 3

??

Chaotic grind/crust that came to me on the flip side of the killer I.C.B.M. cassette. No info here, but a heavy Scandinfluence and enough variety between tracks that it could almost be a mix tape. Historians, completists and know-it-alls, help me out here?

??

NO LESS

NO LESS should need no introduction to most. West Bay Coalition powerviolence devastation with a penchant for manic grind and song construction that was on an entirely different plane. Sure, plenty bands used samples and blatant nods to hip hop sounds and culture, but NO LESS were just advanced. The ability to play whatever weirdness popped into their heads, and an affinity for substances that kept those minds on the fringe at all times. Two demos included in one download, 1994's pro-dubbed Lesson II and a handwritten collection of self described "New Shit" from 1993. Choice tracks include "Buffalo's (sic) Stampeding," "Gin and Tonic" and the epic "Inner Lude - Just Kook Out All Over The Place." Absolute next level status.

LESSON II: ELECTRIC JUNGLE VIOLENCE

NEW SHIT