Posts Tagged ‘gorilla biscuits’
Thursday, September 8th, 2011
Cut the Noose (People Like You Records)
Punk. Either you were there or you weren’t. Like metal, punk has die hard fans and very few casual hanger-ons. Which may be the reason why they borrowed so much from each other and why many bands crossed over with many mutual heroes. There is definitely something about punk, an intrinsic intangible that no other genre has had a real bead on. More than anything else good punk rock has heart and a ton of it. I knew that fact even as a metal head teenager whether it was THE RAMONES on the classic rock station or GORILLA BISCUITS playing a Sunday matinee. The very same SUICIDAL TENEDENCIES CD’s I still go nuts for are right next to my CRO-MAGS, FEAR and CLASH ones. We are no longer in a age where long hair dudes and chicks need to tuck their ponytails up in their hoodies (like I had to) and Mohawked punks still are free to skank away in the circle pit unharmed at the most metal of metal shows. Playing balls out pop punk with an hard edge and a butt load of soul are the greatly named KRUM BUMS hailing from Austin, Texas. They are the latest sons of the street to come along being punk but respecting metal and rock too.
Cut the Noose is made up of fourteen of the most intense, fun, rocking punk n roll jams I have heard in a long time. The opening riffs of “Population Control” are practically lifted right from DANZIG’s “Mother”, but hey if you are gonna steal, steal a diamond right? Otherwise the song is a fast and tight paranoid sing-a-long of the highest order. Lead singer Dave Tejas has done it all, seen it all and lives to scream about it in his disaffected metal yowl. He has the right touch of grit in his voice and a classic sarcastic delivery. Similarly “Action City” is a terrific party anthem complete with tough guy gang vocals. Bunches of fun riffs and infectious guitar soloing takes over the song and leaves you smiling. “Poison Myself” is full of the same vitriol and pacing of classics by BLACK FLAG and THE DEAD KENNEDY’S. Uplifting, sentimental lyrics also call to mind Tim Armstrong or Mike Ness at their soul baring finest. It turns out the true punk rock ethos is not the bloody, snot dripping kid wit the anarchy symbol on his jacket as much as it is that same kid grown up and hardened by his life; older, wiser and reflective. Tejas does this really well. “Gasoline” is a gem of pop perfection, down to its cascading IRON MAIDEN-esque riffs and harmonies in the chorus. “Hit and Run” is another killer tune with another infectious melody. Longtime guitarist Trae Martinez is apparently the architect for a lot of this sonic ear candy that is sweet as honey. “Starving Wolves” is equal parts thrash and hardcore, with the perfect blend of both genres all at once. “Gallows” is yet another catchy sing-a-long track in the finest tradition. The title track, like most of the songs on this album is short and to the point. This time it’s the straight up angry variety and we finally hear bassist Ry Meyer cut loose on some neat bass runs. Other standout jams are “Injection” and “High Highs, Low Lows”. The guys in the KRUM BUMS are not reinventing the wheel here nor are they straying to far from the things that made their heroes so great. What they do have is music delivered with a lot of heart. In essence that is what all good music aspires to do.
 THE KRUM BUMS: Punks with an intense edge and realness. GRADE: B+
by Keith (Keefy) Chachkes
Tags: Austin TX, bassist Ry Meyer, Black Flag, CLASH, classic rock, cro-mags, crossover, Cut the Noose, DANZIG's “Mother”, FEAR, gang vocals, gorilla biscuits, guitar solos, guitarist Trae Martinez, hardcore, IRON MAIDEN-esque harmonies, Keefy, Krum Bums, lead singer Dave Tejas, metal, Mike Ness, People Like You Records, pop-punk, punk, sing-a-long choruses, SUICIDAL TENEDENCIES CD, THE DEAD KENNEDYS, The Ramones, Tim Armstrong, “Starving Wolves”
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Friday, December 24th, 2010
Insecurity Notoriety (Housecore Records)
As we near the end of one of the best years in recent heavy music releases, I wanted to make sure I uncovered every important band or record to review that came across my greedy ears. Music is my life, but sometimes things try to interfere with my goal of reviewing as much tune-age as I possibly can. One album that almost slipped by me is the full length debut of ARSON ANTHEM. A bastard child made of hardcore, deathmetal, crust and doom; ARSON ANTHEM is an underground super-group of sorts. The band consists of Mike Williams on vocals (EYEHATEGOD/OUTLAW ORDER), Hank III on drums (ASSJACK/HANK III/SUPERJOINT RITUAL), Philip H. Anselmo on guitar (who needs no introduction), and their mutual friend Colin Yeo on bass.
Recorded at Nodferatu’s Lair at Phil’s house and released on his own Housecore label Insecurity Notoriety is a snarling, feral spin on old-school hardcore punk with cool twists and turns tossed in for good measure. Not claiming to be strictly punk like so many pretenders, but exuding the raw feelings and chaos of the music they cut their teeth on this album is true in spirit. Surely this group of talented guys could write music in several different styles of music and likely come away with gold. However, they really bottled the honest to goodness vibe of bands like BLACK FLAG, D.R.I., NEGATIVE APPROACH, POISON IDEA and MINOR THREAT and funneled it through their own deep mojo.
The songs are sharp bursts of furious anger and righteous dismay. Opening with the noisy and brusk “Naught”, it is everything I thought this album would be and it only lasted half a minute. And was an instrumental! Classic sounding punk guitars, trap-like snare sound and a decidedly on purpose lo-fi aesthetic.“Foul Pride” is next punctuated with fast riffs and Williams’ exasperated yelling. After a short, weird detour the song again pummels you dead. The end results are very impressive. “Isolation Militia” is unrelenting and harsh. The awesome gang vocals and intensity of the track reminded me of my favorite NYHC band ever, GORILLA BISCUITS. With most of the tracks coming in at under two minutes “More Than One War” is one of the longer tracks at just under three. The lyrics are a fairly collaborative effort between Phil and Mike. There a a bunch of really smart ones, but I must single out the HENRY ROLLINS-esque list-o-mania of “If You Heard This…”. Check out lyrics like “nicotine/gasoline/ ephedrine/submachine/thorazine/benzedrine/vaseline/libertine”. Awesome! Other standout cuts are the title track, “Crippled Life”, “Death of An Idiot”, “Co-Dependent and Busted” and the final, slow boil-over of “Teach The Gun (To Love The Bullet). Sometimes the wheel doesn’t need to be reinvented as much as it’s original design still demands your respect and honor. You may bow down now.
GRADE: B
Keith Chachkes
Tags: ARSON ANTHEM, Assjack, Black Flag, Colin Yeo on bass, crust and doom, D.R.I., deathmetal, deep mojo, Eyehategod, gorilla biscuits, Hank III, Hank III on drums, hardcore, HENRY ROLLINS-esque, Housecore Records, Insecurity Notoriety, list-o-mania, Mike Williams on vocals, Minor Threat, negative approach, NYHC, old-school hardcore punk, OUTLAW ORDER, Philip H. Anselmo on guitar, poison idea, Superjoint Ritual, underground super-group
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Tuesday, May 11th, 2010
- Black Flag- “Damaged”- Between being Black Flag’s first full length and the addition of Henry Rollins, this is definitely one of the greatest hardcore/ punk albums of all time. Rollins brought the band to a completely different place and was the big push to finally get shit done. Since then ‘Rise Above’ and ‘Gimmie Gimmie Gimmie’ have gotten popular and been covered by numerous artists, but ‘TV Party’ is still my favorite song by these pioneers. “We’re gonna have a TV party tonight, we’re gonna have a TV party alright!”
- Donnybrook!- “Lions in this Game”- This band has been one of my favorites for quite some time now. ‘Down For The Core’ is thee hardcore anthem of my generation. Between an awesome album and even better live shows, Donnybrook! is definitely worth getting in to. They’re one of those bands that you can see their heart is beating for the heavy, which is always awesome to see. “Peel back the flesh and expose my veins. My blood runs thick and that won’t ever change. Love for my family’s strong and here to stay. Down for the core ‘til in my grave I lay.”
- Icepick- “Violent Epiphany”- Jamey Jasta (Hatebreed) and Danny Diablo (Skarhead, Crown of Thornz) have nailed it, you will never see Icepick live considering they’re just a studio project, but it doesn’t matter… they’re as hard as they come. Not to mention ICE T makes an appearance on ’Real Recognizes Real’. LEGIT. Icepick is the epitome of mean, obscene, angry, tough guy hardcore. There will be a new album in 2011 and I cannot wait. “Icepick mother fucker. It’s going down faggots. Run and grab your mother fucking momma’s skirt. This is real. This is Ice T, Body Count bitch. This is as real as your life is gonna get.”
- Reign Supreme- “American Violence EP”- When I saw these guys at Sound and Fury in 2008, I was instantly hooked. I still rock their obnoxiously bright purple and teal shirt that I bought there. They’re definitely more on the punk side then the rest of my favorites, but this band is diverse and talented; their first full-length album, “Testing The Limits Of Infinite” really shows that. However, “American Violence” is where it’s at in terms of the heart of Reign Supreme. “ISCARIOOOOOT”
- E-Town Concrete- “Made for War”- So I rarely like hardcore/ rap fusions because most come out looking like a bunch of tools, but these New Jersey boys are a really great exception. E-Town has the perfect balance of hardcore riffs, nod-your-head hip hop, and lyrics that reflect shit that matters. True to hardcore form, “If you’re not with us you’re against us”.
- Remembering Never- “God Save Us”- First off let me say, Mean Pete Kowalsky can do no wrong for me… xBishopx, Until The End, AND Remembering Never, he fucking rules. Remembering Never is a very political band, but whether or not you share their views, their music is definitely something to get hooked on. Their song ‘Slaughterhouse Blues’ is what turned me to veganism for 3 years because their lyrics made me believe that what they were saying was true and right, the passion is definitely there. “All the work and prayers burn, a waste of sweat and breath. God turns his deaf ear to me, like I’m the one that doesn’t exist.”
- Deez Nuts- “Stay True” – Well, they’re a bunch of raunchy, honest, Australians; hard to get much better than that. It’s such a bummer… every single time I’ve tried to see them they can’t get their fucking work visas for the US, that’s some bullshit. Anyway, these guys talk about the rockstar lifestyle and staying true to yourself. Inexplicably easy, unapologetically obscene, and undeniably hard, this shit is awesome. “You’re nobody. We don’t need you. You were never shit. Your fucking mother should’ve swallowed you.”
- Death Before Dishonor- “Count Me In”- Boston hardcore at its finest. This album is heavier and harder than their other ones, and there are definitely enough powerful gang vocals to go around. DBD is a really good mix of hardcore and punk, they never fail to put me in a ‘fuck you ’mood. “I came to fight. I came to win. Count me in.”
- Terror- “One with the Underdogs”- Terror has become synonymous with hardcore, these guys stay true to their roots and have a lot of fun doing it. The lyrics are straightforward, the music is powerful, and their live shows are insane. They never back down to their ideals or change their style too much. This is straight up, hardcore. “Fuck everything and everybody, hypocrites and all the fakes, leeches and the followers, best to stay out of my way. Out of my face, out of my way.”
- Cockpunch!- “Attack”- So, Cockpunch! may not be the most popular or technical band, but I love them. Straight edge, hilarious, and surprisingly good riffs, these guys are winners in my book. “You! I don’t know you, but I fucking hate you. You just come here to get fucked, I hope you get a disease.”
Honorable Mentions! Cro-Mags, Minor Threat, Suicidal Tendencies, Hatebreed, Throwdown, Earth Crisis, Youth Brigade, Bad Brains, Trapped Under Ice, H2O, Gorilla Biscuits, Bad Religion, 7 Seconds, Sick Of It All, Agnostic Front, Blood For Blood, For The Fallen Dreams, Emmure, Stick to your Guns, The Acacia Strain, Madball, Alpha & Omega, Misery Signals, Touche Amore, and Vanna
-Shay
GFYS
Tags: 7 seconds, Agnostic Front, alpha & omega, american violence, attack, bad brains, Bad Religion, Black Flag, blood for blood, cockpunch, count me in, cro-mags, crown of thornz, damaged, danny diablo, death before dishonor, deez nuts, donnybrok, down for the core, e-town concrete, earth crisis, emmure, for the fallen dreams, gimmie gimmie gimmie, god save us, gorilla biscuits, h2o, Hatebreed, henry rollins, ice t, icepick, iscariot, jamey jasta, lions in this game, madball, made for war, Minor Threat, misery signals, one with the underdogs, pete kowalsky, reign supreme, remembering never, rise above, Sick Of It All, skarhead, slaughterhouse blues, sound and fury, stay true, stick to your guns, straight edge, suicidal tendencies, terror, testing the limits of infinite, the acacia strain, throwdown, touche amore, trapped under ice, tv party, until the end, vanna, violent epiphany, xbishopx, youth brigade
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Tuesday, May 11th, 2010
- Bad Brains –“The ROIR Cassette” – Zeppelin fused into the Projects in Chocolate City (Washington DC). The Brains were about as “outsider” as you could get. Typical scenario: White America plundering Black Soul. The Brains are responsible for everything that came afterwards. Everything. First time I saw them they blew my world to pieces. MY Led Zeppelin.
- SS Decontrol –’Get It Away”- Guitarist Al “Lethal” Barile & Co. lived two towns over from where I grew up on Boston’s North Shore. Aside from being known as the most powerful band in the land, the mythos that sprung around these Puritanical Bostonians was incredible. The tale was they were so Straight Edge they would walk around their own shows with flashlights and slap beers out of people’s hands. Straight Edge of the most evil proportions. I hated all the jocks and beer-guzzlers in my High School. So did they. And they were willing to dole out punishment.
- Black Flag “’82 Demos” – This one’s a relatively easy bootleg to find of the mighty Flag 5-piece lineup demoing three albums of post-Damaged material. The reason I go with this rather than a full “proper” Flag album is simple: Black Flag was the band that bended and broke the hardcore template early on. Yes, the classic songs were sung by Keith Morris, Ron Reyes and Dez Cadena, but c’mon, Henry was the piece of the puzzle that brought it a whole step up. Catch them here with Hammerin’ Hank, Dez Cadena on 2nd guitar and Chuck Dukowski on bass. This was the band’s best line-up. These very live demo versions simply crush any studio takes you already know. “My War” never sounded so good.
- Minor Threat-“Salad Days” 7”- “The baby has grown ugly, it’s no longer cute,” sang Ian MacKaye. It felt like a whole chapter closing on all of our lives. “Do you remember when? Yeah, so do I…” Minor Threat had already broken up when this was released. It was time to leave it all to someone else.
- Dag Nasty-“Can I Say”-This felt like a rebirth of the hardcore spirit in 1985. When former Minor Threater Brian Baker’s guitar comes charging in “Values Here” and Dave Smalley (ex-DYS) starts yelling, it sounds like hardcore matters again.
- Corrosion of Conformity-“Animosity”-Pepper Keenan had yet to sauté these North Caolinians with his New Orleans special sauce. This is a whole different C.O.C.. Packaged in a colorful Pushead sleeve, C.O.C. anno 1985 was a blindingly powerful trio that started to push hardcore into metallic turf. Mike Dean howled, Reed Mullin bashed and Woody Weatherman made it sound like Tony Iommi was playing at triple speed.
- Cro-Mags –“Age of Quarrel” – Hare Krishnas trippin’ on Motorhead and Bad Brains. This might be the record where hardcore’s paradigm shifted towards metal. “Age of Quarrel” remains as fresh now as it did in 1986. Fronted by one John Joseph and backed by the just as visible bassist Harley Flanangan (who have spent a couple decades now hatin’ on each other), the ‘Mags were truly a band to be afraid of both musically and personally.
- Discharge-“Fight Back” 7” – “Fight the system/Fight Back!” It doesn’t get more straightforward than this. The first word in hardcore compressed into 1:20. You should wake up every day and put this on before pouring milk into your Count Chocula.
- Siege-“Drop Dead” demo-Thankfully, this has been bootlegged, mastered and remastered a zillion times. If ever there was an outcast bunch, Siege were it. Scorned by the Boston hardcore crew, their 7 song demo endures pretty much better than every record from 1983-1984. Yeah, they may have played eight shows but their short lived legacy casts a long shadow. Modern metal, crust and grind are all in Siege’s debt. Legend is that as this tape got passed around the underground by the time it got into the hands of the Napalm Death members-to-be, it sounded so fucked it gave rise to the sound of grind. It still makes me want to kill.
- Samhain-“November Coming Fire” – Glenn Danzig’s last stop before pairing up with Rick Rubin. It may not be as poppy or enduring as the Misfits but it just feels more muscular, sexier and more evil. I still go bananas when I hear “Let The Day Begin”.
Honorable Mentions: Gism-Detestation, Die Kreuzen-Die Kreuzen, Negative Approach-Tied Down, Jerry’s Kids-Is This My World?, Gorilla Biscuits-Start Today, Adolescents-Adolescents, Earth Crisis-Gommorah’s Season Ends, Leeway-Born To Expire, Disfear-Face The Storm, Rites of Spring-Rites of Spring, Rollins Band-Lifetime, 7Seconds-Committed for Life EP, Snapcase-Progression Through Unlearning, Articles of Faith-Give Thanks, Bad Religion-Generator, GBH-City Baby Attacked By Rats, Sick of It All-Blood, Sweat and No Tears.
Tags: 7 seconds, 82 demos, adolescents, age of quarrel, al barile, animosity, articles of faith, bad brains, Bad Religion, Black Flag, blood sweat and no tears, born to expire, brian baker, can i say, chuck dukowski, city baby attacked by rats, committed for life, corrosion of conformity, cro-mags, dag nasty, dave smalley, dez cadena, die kreuzen, discharge, disfear, drop dead, earth crisis, face the storm, fight back, fight the system/ fight back, gbh, generator, get it away, gism- detestation, give thanks, glenn danzig, gommorah's seasn ends, gorilla biscuits, hammerin hank, harley flanangan, henry rollins, Ian MacKaye, is this my world?, jerry's kids, john joseph, keith morris, leeway, let the day begin, lifetime, mike dean, Minor Threat, napalm death, negative approach, november coming fire, pepper keenan, progression through unlearning, reed mullin, rick rubin, rites of spring, rollins band, ron reyes, salad days, samhain, Sick Of It All, siege, snapcase, ss decontrol, start today, the rois cassette, tied down, tony iommi, values here, woody weatherman, zeppelin
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