Give them the Maryland seal of quality while the ink’s still wet, fellas, because that state can do no wrong as far as quality extreme music. From the Deathgrind virtuosos MISERY INDEX, to the indomitable DYING FETUS, and the fast growing Hardcore act COKE BUST, it’s safe to say that STRONG INTENTION will naturally follow suit and be awesome. the only thing I’d change about this release is the cover art, but that’s a rant I’ll save for someone more judgmental than I. SI have been around since the mid-nineties, but mysteriously haven’t gotten as big as their aforementioned contemporaries. Something went highly amiss, as their mixture of CHARLES BRONSON/SPAZZ style Powerviolence with the new-school Thrash sound that’d find a home on the latest TOXIC HOLOCAUST joint, alongside a hearty dose of Southern fried Sludge should have hooked this godless country by the nose.
This EP immediately opens up with its title track, a Sludgy number with Mike Williams of EYEHATEGOD infamy performing the bulk of the vocals. It dips in and out of a Thrashcore inflected MAGRUDERGRIND vibe, which is honestly something I didn’t think that Mike Williams would ever sign up for, being accustomed to muggy, heroin induced grooves that can only be properly born south of Virginia. Mike’s on top form as far as sounding angry and acrawl with various diseases, so this change of speed actually suits him, and I’d like to see him (and any other willing Southern Metal vocalists) try it more often.
“Messiah Whore” begins immediately with the musical equivalent of artillery rounds entering your home while you sleep. Here they also showcase a bit of Death Metal influence as well as their dirty brand of what I’ll dub Grindviolence, with punishing blasts and sporting a riff that sounds not unlike some I’ve heard on EXHUMED’s Anatomy Is The Destiny. The breakdown is highly reminiscent of some I’ve heard by MISERY INDEX, which is not odd, as bands in that area seem to swap sounds as bored teenagers sexually transmitted infections. A solid track overall, and probably one of the standouts.
“Holes In The Wall” boasts a more straightforward Crossover style; think of the vocalist of BANE if he jammed with the band members of PUNCH and MUNICIPAL WASTE. The riffs that kick in at the very end are probably the most melodic thing to happen on the album, as they point towards SI’s ability to lock into killer grooves. I was a bit sad to see this track end so abruptly, as it promised a bit more variation from a mental nailbombing, but instead leads to the next track.
Mike Williams appears also on “3rd Space Gorilla Generator”, which is a title that shall give me nightmares for years to come. Pure DADA. This one’s a bit more by the numbers Hardcore, with the vocals being more like Jay Randall of AGORAPHOBIC NOSEBLEED. Aside from a small Sludge section where Mike steps up to the mic to howl in pain, it’s pure circle-pit mayhem.
“Rat Factory” continues the vocal tradition of the last track, which gives me the impression that either the vocalist’s larynx morphed over the course of the EP, or someone else stepped in due to an unfortunate neck-related incident. Curious indeed. This track is the second shortest, but packes a helluva punch, with a breakdown at the end that could knock down buildings.
“Slaughter Intelligence” is quite similar to the last track, but ends much more abruptly at only 54 seconds as opposed to “Rat Factory”s even minute. It makes me almost go against my very instincts, which aren’t a fan of the slow, 3-4 minute down-tempo tracks that Hardcore influenced bands usually toss in, often at the end of their releases, but this band actually made me hunger for one. Yes, EPs are short, but this was almost demo length, and was the equivalent of being given a handy when you expected whole night in Paris. That was gross, and I sincerely apologize.
The Verdict: It becomes more of a teaser than an actual appetizer for an album, but overall it’s still a sweet treat from the balmy climes of Maryland.
Another great night of metal and debauchery was on tap at my favorite spot in or around Boston for a metal show, Great Scott in Allston MA. A bunch of hardcore inspired metal bands were invading the spot and it was a treat to see such a big turnout for a normally dead summer night. Lots of punk and hardcore kids mingled with metallers and show each other approving looks for shirt choices like THE BAD BRAINS as well as DEATH ANGEL. So choice was the lineup that many of Boston’s metal luminaries were in the house like members of CONVERGE and DEATH RAY VISION. All thanks and props go to Born of Fire and Zack Wells for putting on yet another killer bill for all to enjoy.
Front man Pboy of NEW LOWS is an incredible performer.
Local favorites PANZERBASTARD opened up the night and are just a killer live act. they are best described as old-school rock and thrash served up in a dirty shot glass full of fuck you! Bassist/front man Keith Bennett is hilariously funny on stage and the entire band just cooks live. Their label head Dan Patac (Patac Records) was also in the house and told me they have an new album in the works and I’m really psyched about it. Next up were NEW LOWS and BITTER END. Both of these bands are on the Deathwish Inc. label and had a lot of heads in the house just for them. BITTER END is a little more on the old school tip of things, but still crushingly harsh. NEW LOWS has a killer live show buoyed by insane front man Pboy. His vocals alone were worth the price of admission. Both bands are names to watch out for in the near future if hardcore is your thing.
Todd Jones of NAILS drive his point home....
After a quick change over of gear NAILS his the stage and the entire venue seemed swollen with people. It was hot as hell in the joint and the front packed in tight really for the onslaught the band would bring. From the opening salvo of “Conform/Scum Will Rise” it was like a powder keg went off and a big, wild mosh pit opened right up. The band was tight and sounded great. Vocalist/guitarist Todd Jones (ex-TERROR) is a terrific screamer, guitar player and performer. He has a lot of energy and really conveys his lyrics with his raging style. The crowd totally seemed to feed off of this making for an explosive set. The band played a set entirely from their album Unsilent Death (Southern Lord) and the crowd was enrapt as hellish anthems of hardcore, thrash, crust and grind rained down on our ears. Drummer Taylor Young and bassist John Giannelli round out the lineup and the bashed away at the songs with little time wasted. Songs like “I Will Not Follow”, “No Servant”, “Depths” and “Scapegoat” were just spot on perfect and the crowd never stopped moving. They even covered old NYHC band BREAKDOWN, playing the classic ”Sick People”. When the final notes of their set rang out like a shot from a smoking gun, I was pretty much spent for the night. Every time I see this band I just want them to keep going and play double the time. Perhaps next year when they do a headline tour. In the meantime I cannot wait for their next album to drop in 2012.
Pick up the new album from RINGWORM, out now.
If it was any other band besides RINGWORM, they might have a hard time following the chaos that preceded them. However, the hardcore and metal bashers from Cleveland had other ideas and are not to be outdone as a live unit. On the road in support of their new album Scars (Victory Records) they hit the stage with wild-eyed , reckless abandon. As usual vocalist James “Human Furnace” Bulloch just killed vocally. He is a terrific front man, with tremendous stage presence and he always gets the crowd moving. No one in metal sounds quite like him and probably couldn’t even if they tried. Naturally, the pit was sick with a lot of real old-school mosh dues out in force and no room for sissy ninja kicking noobs. There were circle pits galore from wall to wall in the relatively small venue and it was cool too see no fights or knucklehead action for a change. Since the band is out on the road celebrating the 10 year anniversary of the modern hardcore classic Birth Is Pain album and 20 years as a band, they played nearly as many deep cuts as they did recent ones. Songs like that title track as well as “Amputee”, “Dollar Whore” and “The Sickness” meshed well with newer material like “Unravel”. The entire band was tight as hell as they tore through the hour long set, keeping the intensity on high. I have to single out guitarist John Comprix (BEYOND FEAR, CHARRED WALLS OF THE DAMNED) for his usual axe-wielding awesomeness. I for one am glad RINGWORM are still plugging away after all this time and suggest you catch them live if they come to your town.
RINGWORM bassist Mike Lare wears a cool ANAL CUNT shirt in tribute to Boston grindcore legend Seth Putnam. RIP Seth!
ANAL CUNT has been one of the most insane bands of our time; Seth Putnam became the new GG ALLIN. However, before his death, PUTNAM did something that no one expected — he made a cock rock record. Turns out, he was actually a huge fan of bands like MOTLEY CRUE and BUCKCHERRY which seems really weird given the band’s bigoted grind history. Even more surprising, ANAL CUNT even recorded a cover of BUCKCHERRY’s “Whiskey In The Morning”.
That’s right, the guy who penned such classics as “Don’t Call Japanese Hardcore Jap Core”, “I Noticed That You’re Gay” and “You’re a Trendy Fucking Pussy” is a huge fan of “Crazy Bitch” and “Sorry”. I wonder if he ever went to CRUE FEST???
Anyway, click here to check out ANAL CUNT’s cover of “Whiskey in the Morning”.
Although it isn’t every day where Virginia’s certified metal legends Deceased offer up to us a proper new full length, when frontman/skinsman King Fowley-who has indeed returned to his rightful place behind the kit-and company do decide to grace us with some new material, you just KNOW it’s going to be something big.
As expected, Surreal Overdose is fucking killer. What some fans may NOT have expected, however, is how far back in the vault Deceased would go for inspiration here on their sixth LP proper. While recent years have seen the band take on new guitarist Shane Fuegel to replace the retired Mike Adams, the Deceased we’re hearing now on Surreal Overdose sounds strikingly similar to the extreme, underground Voivodian death metal found on early efforts like Luck of the Corpse and The Blueprints For Madness at times-see “Vulture Shock” and badass opener “Kindred Assembly”-tempered near-perfectly with the more expansive, melodic and almost progressive nature of their Fearless Undead Machines masterpiece.
As a result, Surreal Overdose is the total Deceased package: a record which celebrates not only the band’s old school heritage, but also the stylistic paths chosen since then, embracing everything in between the lines. Fuegel, for what it’s worth, seems to fit right in with Fowley, bassist Les Snyder and now-studio axeman Mike Smith, admirably assisting his new crew with their creepy crawly odes to the murderous and macabre.
“The Traumatic” is a particularly perfect example of how seamless this transition seems to have been for Deceased. Sounding as if it could have fit snugly on 2000′s stellar Supernatural Addiction, “The Traumatic” balances all of the even-keeled metal aggression Deceased have come to embody over the years: it’s melodic, but not sappy, heavy but not cacophonous, atmospheric without sounding cheesy and vintage without sounding dated.
“Cloned” follows suit in similarly anthemic fashion, and it just keeps on rolling from there, folks. When it comes to uncompromising heavy metal precision, there are few out there who do it THIS right, and with such alarming, respectable consistency. Simply stated: Deceased fuckin’ rule, and should probably rule the world, so run out on May 14th for your SURREAL OVERDOSE!
There’s a new, vicious voice emerging from the East Coast when it comes to tough-as-nails, unapologetically DIY-driven indie labels.
Patac Records and its owner Dan Harrington are determined to be heard, releasing some of the rawest, most stripped down punk and hardcore, while also maintaining a healthy fetish for filthy, old school metal, as well.
Patac is finally beginning to get noticed,” explains Harrington, “and be taken seriously. It’s been a rocky road for sure, but I’ve built a strong home base in Boston with acts like Anal Cunt, Panzerbastard, For The Worse, etc. I’ve also been creating a strong following in California, as well, through acts like Executioner, which was an influential punk band back in 82, who hadn’t had a record out until now.”
“The only rule I have,” continues Dan proudly, “is that I will NEVER put out a record that I wouldn’t want to buy. I come from a primarily punk background, but I listen to a shitload of Venom and Motorhead, as well. I have plans to release garage, outlaw country, even a tribute to Screaming Jay Hawkins. I listen to everything, be it punk, metal, rock’n'roll, soul, blues, jazz… you name it. I love The Stooges, Dead Boys, Bolt Thrower, Throbbing Gristle and Leadbelly. Motorhead’s self-titled album may be the greatest album ever recorded. I am totally open to all types of music, but as far as the scene goes? Fuck it, I will never cater to them, but if someone likes my music, all the better!”
Fuck-it-all sentiments aside, Harrington has put a lot of work into getting Patac off the ground, as he reveals.
“Patac was a concept I’ve had for a long time. I was working at a record store, which automatically gives you the ‘under-appreciated music critic’ status in your own head. The name Patac started as a stupid joke—often I think of stupid song titles for shits and giggles—and one was ‘Punks and Thrashers Against Christ.’ I laughed and thought ‘that would be a kickass name for a label…’ Back in 2008, I was ready to start the label. I heard my friend Jared’s band Revilers demo, which would become the Isolation EP. It kicked me in the ass, and I was listening to a lot of UK Subs at the time, I pressed it on vinyl, and never looked back. Here I am, twelve releases under my belt, and still broke, but that won’t stop me.”
On the subject of the initial obstacles and roadblocks, Harrington continues, “Everything was a struggle. Getting distribution, trading with other labels, advertising, reviews, it’s all extremely time consuming and costly. I went in with little to no knowledge, luckily I had help from Paul Sunderland of Give Praise Records; he works at a local print shop, and his feedback and guidance was instrumental in my success. Going into 2011, I’m distributed through Cockroach Media, which has gotten me a ton of exposure and product placement, as well as Ebullition, Revelation, and more. Patac isn’t a record label: it’s a big fucking middle finger pointing directly to the scene. To quote Maximum Rock ‘n Roll: ‘another reason to hate Boston.’ We will never cater to any one sound. I am sick of the trends, and the lack of creativity; we’re Patac, and we’re not going away.”
Further along on this sentiment, Harrington is also very firm in his resolve to remain staunchly indie and underground, though his sights seem very keen on the label’s growth and progression as a power.
“Right now, Patac is a one man show, but yes, sky is the limit. Recently, I’ve created a PR company called Distort, which provides affordable digital PR for upcoming acts and labels. I will be looking for contributing writers, and possibly internships and street teams in the future. I’m looking into distributing other labels through Cockroach, as well as expanding my web distro.”
The buck stops for Dan when it comes to being a launching pad for bands whose aims might aim for multi-million, platinum success, however.
“I don’t want to be a launching pad, fuck no. I’ve seen this happen to a lot of labels. I want to start consistently selling through releases with a primary focus on vinyl. Contracts are something I am now looking into, I have no qualms with an artist moving on, but I also want to cover my own ass. I know from my friend Mike that Equal Vision’s success got a huge boost by having a contract with Coheed and Cambria—who I hate—regardless, the label received a shitload of money from a major to buy them out of their contract. Buyouts are totally acceptable, since there is no way to calculate all the time and money you put into a label. Two years later, I have still not seen a return.”
Closing up shop on our chat, however, Dan’s mood turns positive for a moment, and reveals a bright, optimistic five year plan.
“I want to keep expanding, and hopefully introduce some people to new music. I want to bring some much needed integrity to the punk rock [and metal] scene[s].”
