SHIKARI

As a rule, I try to avoid posting tape reproductions of vinyl/CD releases since it kinda defeats the purpose of sharing music that has been denigrated to the cassette medium. There are exceptions of course (like when I taped the STRESS record so I could share it here without breaking my self imposed guidelines), and Holland's SHIKARI is a perfect example. A collection of vinyl releases (splits with PHOENIX BODIES, SEEIN' RED, AÇÃO DIRETA and the Robot Wars 10") and is a perfect example of metallic European chaos frequently tagged with the screamo label. Maybe the label is fair if you want to be literal, as the music is certainly emotional and there is definitely a lot of screaming, but to put a band like this in a box with a label is to do them a severe injustice. The killer metal/hardcore/emo sound from late '90s Germany (SYSTRAL, AKEPHAL) is surely present, but the vocals are high, constant and beyond intense while the drums are a never ending barrage - I cannot think of another way to set the foundation for the wall of guitars that front SHIKARI. Mournful progressions, desperate and all encompassing, drawing inspiration from equally black metal and '90s emo. The level of intensity this band reaches with their very first burst of energy is one that most hardcore bands never achieve in their entire careers. So yeah, I am glad Malaysia's Bullwhip put this shit on a tape so I can share it here....and you are glad too. Powerful and essential.

SHIKARI

SICK LLAMA // MSHING

Two incredibly prolific noise artists join forces on this 2011 split. SICK LLAMA (aka Heath Moerland) dish out 15 minutes of churning harsh industrial sounds - imagine a soundtrack for a film documenting the end of The Robot Age, the metal parts tossed aside with the same casual disinterest that The Robots showed to our weak human emotions when they took over the planet. MSHING (aka Luke Holland) is a soundtrack too...a soundtrack to a film documenting bitter cold howling terror. 

SICK LLAMA // MSHING

SHUT IN

SHUT IN is disgusting. And really really pissed. Bombastic hardcore/crust at the very end of its rope - the low end is crushing, but the vocals are simply terrifying. There are blasts, there are devastating breakdowns (sometimes the two fall into each other with jaw dropping results) and everything is filthy. This is what it sounds like when you have had enough.

FEAR/BLOOD

Members of PROTESTANT, ABADDON, MALACHI, PARTY BY THE SLICE, NO BRAINER, ARCHITECTS OF THE AFTERMATH and others, in case you are keeping track or need extra incentive...

WORK. SLEEP. DIE.

Grindcore from Canada and the USA...that should really all you need, but in the interest of comprehensive coverage I'll delve a little deeper. Some of it sounds neurotic (PIZZA HI FIVE, COKSKAR, LT. DAN), some of it is just all out manic grind (NIMBUS TERRIFIX, P.L.F.), some of is is noisy and weird (DISLEKSIK, HITOKIRI), some of it will change your mind about grindcore (COOKED AND EATEN, TU SUFRES), some of it is raw (SIX BREW BANTHA, PAUCITES), and some of it is just great (ARCHAGATHUS, OBACHA). I don't know if you need Introductory Grind 101, a refresher course or a swift kick in the ass, but there are no duds on this comp. Even if the noise bursts from YOSO MONO are my favorite tracks....

WORK. SLEEP. DIE.

N.A.F.T.A.

A perfect bridge between ripping '80s Italian hardcore (think INDIGESTI here) and more constructed (read: slightly less unhinged) '90s contemporaries from the States. This nine song demo from 1996 is the first (and only) thing I've heard from them and, while there are moments that sound dated, bits like the chorus of "Via La Polizia" are undeniable.

ASCOLTA CIÓ CHE VEDI

My copy is well worn but the sound quality improves drastically halfway through "Corri." Didn't seem right to leave a few tracks off just because they sound a but muddy as a result of years of repeated listens (and likely improper storage)...if it bothers you then you know how to use the delete feature, right?

DOG KILLER

There must be thousands of barely unearthed regionally active bands from the '80s who never committed their tracks to wax and will likely languish in the memories of the punks who were there and the lucky few who manage to snag well worn demo tapes. In the case of Chico, California's DOG KILLER, I find myself in the second category. Superb guitars that swerve between ADOLESCENTS and DEAD KENNEDYS, snarky vocals and classic California attitude...all of the ingredients are here, and aside from a couple of duds ("Man's Best Friend" and "Up To You" are just unnecessary musically, even though the latter is excellent lyrically) the result is stellar. "Superpowers" is the standout (either because of or in spite of the meandering guitar led breakdown that makes up the last third of the track) and tracks like "No Reason To Live" are certified creamers. And yeah, I know the band name is stupid, no need to mention it other than to shrug and say: "well...it was 1986?"

LAST ACT OF A DESPERATE BAND

GEORGE HARRISON

I mean, the first song is called "Russian Hardcore Thrash Attack," so how much explanation do you really need? Relentless, raw dual vocal fastcore/thrash dishing out seven tracks in as many minutes...it was 2003 and we basically couldn't get enough of this shit. But this cassette and a split with CONGA FURY is all we got, so listen repeatedly.

GEORGE HARRISON