SCALPED

Oh, you snoozed? Sorry for you, punk. Terminal Escape faves YADOKAI disintegrated into SCALPED a couple of years ago (only change in membership was one guitarist) and then as soon as your knuckles hit the floor they were gone and PRIMAL RITE appeared (change in membership this time was the vocalist). SCALPED took YADOKAI's erratic lurches and yanked out enough of the Japanese hardcore to make it real confusing - a start/stop/breakdown riff-o-rama from the first burst of sound. There are only six minutes of mayhem on this demo, and it runs essentially as one track, one collection of riffs, one continuous bash to the face. I honestly prefer this practice space demo to any of the band's "studio" recordings - rawer, more teeth, more chaos....uglier. And this is a band that was, from its inception, decidedly ugly. 

DEMO: 2014

ULTRA

I had heard that these goofs were jamming a bit, and considering the goofs involved (the roster features current and former members of COLD CIRCUITS, REPLICA, SCALPED, YADOKAI, SYNTHETIC ID, NO STATIK....among many many others) I figured it could be pretty cool. But fukk. Really? Crazy catchy mod punk like SLADE getting a bum rub from NEGATIVE APPROACH or some shit (I have no idea what that means) because as soon as you think it's some goin-to-the-pub-with-me-mates rehash they do something like the chorus of "ACAG" and you're all like "oh balls, this is hardcore." And then of course the next fukkn track has a DEAD MILKMEN swagger...I mean, what am I supposed to do? How can I not get on board The ULTRA Train? I'm helpless.

ULTRA

HOG // INSURRECCION

13 minutes of devastating Mexican crust. Five tunes from Mexico City's HOG and four from INSURRECCION. HOG throw brief melodic respites into the mix, but the bulk of this is churning downtuned mania - ugly sounds as influenced by primitive Latin American hardcore as by HIS HERO IS GONE. INSURRECCION are more rooted in lurching Mexican punk, a raw and brutal attack that makes their decision to cover WRETCHED seem completely logical. This is about as far from subtle as you're going to get.

HOG // INSURRECCION

For those readers in the Bay Area, Prank Records is dishing out some serious shit this weekend. NO STATIK and VACCUUM shows for a while, plus most of my favorite local bands, IRON LUNG and two pretty sick visitors from the east coast. Not a bad coupla days...

                

    

And CITIZENS ARREST are playing today at Thee Parkside with YADOKAI and others, but you probably just woke up and that shit starts at 1PM.

ITANSHA

Nothing to say except that this will destroy you. A one man band featuring the guitarist of YADOKAI, MORPHEME, VACCUUM and others, this nine song slaughter combines raw and in your face modern punk with the feel of classic '80s Japanese hardcore. I was hooked instantly, and the 5+ minute untitled final track is nothing short of genius. Life Sucker delivers the goods once again - if you like it fukkd then this is your crew.

PARANOIA

YADOKAI

Between a guitarist relocated to Southern California and other projects (HUNTING PARTY, EFFLUXUS, FACE THE RAIL, SYNTHETIC ID and more, strangely all of them are bad ass), I think YADOKAI are on their way out. It's too bad, because their version of lightning speed Japanese influenced hardcore punk is unparalleled, especially around these parts. The first demo is great, the first EP is a chaotic treat, but the second drummer suits their style perfectly and the result is a little more cohesive, which allows them to ramp up the energy and the pace. A second EP can (maybe?) be had through these punx, but this tape (released in a pathetically limited run for their summer '11 trip to LA) is long gone. Crucial.

YADOKAI

That the San Francisco Bay Area produces an disproportionately high number of quality punk and hardcore bands is not a secret, but lately I've felt especially fortunate to live here and see so many excellent shows. I missed out on a couple last week due to adulthood, but instead of getting all bummed out I hauled my ass to Oakland to get drilled in the face by PERMANENT RUIN and LA's BLOODY PHOENIX - worth it. So I'm going to spend the next week celebrating this wealthy ass metropolis filled with miscreants, weirdos, yuppies, tech millionaires and addicts.

HUNTING PARTY

Sometimes it's hard living in San Francisco. It seems like I have to have a new favorite local band just about every damn week. Conveniently, the guitarist for my last favorite local band also has a hand in this new juggernaut. HUNTING PARTY are mean and frustrated hardcore punk, steeped in internally driven and intelligent '90s hardcore. Members of MIGRAINE, VACCUUM, ECOLI, YADOKAI, FACE THE RAIL, DESOLATION, SYNTHETIC ID and plenty of others. No rules, no convenient subgenres, just ugly. Four songs, all awesome.

HUNTING PARTY

San Francisco: NO STATIK, FUTUR SKULLZ, HUNTING PARTY tonight at El Rio.

SYNTHETIC ID

There's a new best band in San Francisco. I know I say that a lot, but I mean it every time. SYNTHETIC ID play jerky and genuine jams for fans of WIPERS, THE FALL, PERE UBU and OBSERVERS. "Throwaway" is among the greatest songs I've heard in years - this three song banger is angular and deliberate, and the guitars are brilliant. Speaking of guitars, they are handled by the most understated and prolific musicians I've ever come across, who is also a contributing member of FACE THE RAIL, ECOLI, YADOKAI, and HUNTING PARTY. This demo is short, to be sure, but so very sweet.

SYNTHETIC ID

ADMASS

The second demo I have from these inept geniuses is filled with nearly an hour of criminally primitive punk. Three studio tracks assaulting Garry Bushell (he is apparently the biggest cunt in the world), Princess Diana and the mayor of Weymouth (also a cunt, in addition to being a big fat prick, apparently) respectively, are followed by a barrage of crude and plodding rehearsal tracks, complete with band fights over who is playing which not incorrectly. I love this shit, and sex obsessed teens ("Fuck You Not Love You," "Artificial Masturbation") sometimes create amazing sounds, even when they lack any semblance of technical proficiency. In fact, sometimes those are the sounds that are the most amazing, because the frustration is right out front and the emotion is pure. I posted their first demo almost two years ago, and I give extra credit to anyone brave enough to endure both in one sitting. Let me know how it goes...

ADMASS 2

NO STATIK and MARTYRDÖD return to San Francisco tonight, joined by YADOKAI at The Knockout. We have a new EP, the Swedes have a US pressing of 'Sekt" which is stellar. Southern California tomorrow!

FACE THE RAIL

Can you imagine '80s Southern California skate punks crossing over into the world of college rock but still managing to sound like punks? ADOLESCENTS meets PAVEMENT seems like a ridiculous description, though these post-adolescents seem to be stuck between two worlds, and it shows in their songwriting and delivery. Hardcore definitely wins this battle, but just think about how bands like HÜSKER DÜ and DESCENDENTS started blurring subgenre lines later in their careers and translate that evolution to a young band from SF influenced by 20 years of punk. The guitar work alone makes this a winner, and then you start to notice how fukkn awesome the songs are ("Violence" is damn near a perfect punk tune). Members of some of my favorite current Bay Area bands (YADOKAI, ECOLI, and the short lived VACANT ROOMS among others)...

FACE THE RAIL

This was released on cassette by Tank Crimes, who felt it necessary to make vinyl records too. Clearly, this is a label with excellent taste.

YADOKAI

This ten minute blast cam out about six months ago, and when I saw them last week I was reminded that I've been meaning to share it with those of you not lucky enough to live close enough to San Francisco to catch one of the live shows. Those live shows, though sporadic, are a thing of beauty...really ugly beauty. An online description of the band, made mostly in jest, said that YADOKAI were "GAUZE meets BCT Tapes meets HEROIN," and that fukkn nails it. The unrelenting hardcore fury heralded by BCT bands is packed into these five songs until they are overflowing, and classic Japanese hardcore song structure and riff construction makes the lofty GAUZE comparison entirely justified. Throw in the chaotic recording and occasional forays into noise indulgent but brief noise, and a vibe akin to '90s bands like HEROIN and MOHINDER starts to develop within the full on hardcore assault...it's almost a relief when "No Motivation" ends and you can take a breath. The DIY rehearsal recording captures every fucking ounce of the power, and the distortion envelops every element of the band so that vocals and guitars constantly battle for your attention, taking turns at the forefront while the bass and drums hold the operation steady. Perfect tones hide underneath the chaos, and one song bleeds right into the next, allowing for no respite until the demo is finished (like I said, the end of the tape is almost a relief). YADOKAI feature members of Bay Area bands ECOLI, NIGHTSTICK JUSTICE, FACE THE RAIL and the guitarist from VACCUUM/MORPHEME...but that pedigree is just to get you to download the shit, because Sterile Environment stands easily on it's own as one of the best slabs to come out of the bay in a long time.

STERILE ENVIRONMENT