3 Victims - Demo

Tracklist

1. Butchered Cunt
2. Painful Awakening to Lunacy
3. Inseminating Sufferance
4. Ridiculous Accusations of Contradictory Ideas Suppressing Thou
5. Insanely Hypocritical Retaliation

Hardcore is still taking up all my listening time lately, though when I put on something metal, this band is usually what I listen to. 3 Victims is an Australian trio that plays a vicious blend of brutal death metal and grindcore. There are slam riffs a-plenty, as well as some tremolo-picked riffs which provide a decent distraction until the next slam riff comes. The vocals are the ridiculously low, pitch-shifted sort, which are anathema to some, but tolerable for me. The best aspect of this demo however, would have to be the drumming. When their drummer isn't feverishly pounding away behind the tremolo riffs, he's augmenting the slams with a powerful combination of fast snare blasts and rampant cymbal bashing. 'Tis some pretty good shit, this demo.

Check it out.

Burdens - Burdens

Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/burdenspa
Release Date: 2008
Label: Unsigned
Release Type: EP

I’ve been on a lovely little hardcore binge lately and Burdens is one of the better bands I’ve discovered in the last week or so. The Cursed-isms are heavy on this release, from the sledgehammer guitar tone to the biting lyrical diatribes and the fierce snarl they are spit out with. “Fit for Swine” opens the EP with a pounding riff roughly equivalent to a dropkick to your gut while “Thunderhawk” swings with a sharp vocal hook backed by a pounding rhythm. "Less and Less” is a minute long fusillade with its fire pointed against the self and closer “Power Trip” rails against the tyrant’s hand with seething rage and climaxes with pounding guitars and venomous spite.

A couple of the songs err when it comes to cutting some great moments short, but that doesn’t cripple the record. These guys still have much time to develop their craft. Overall, Burden's attack has as much wrath and fury as it has hooks and for me, that qualifies for a release worth listening to.

Download:

http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?memnjgmymwm

Converge - No Heroes

Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/converge

Release Date: 2006

Label: Epitaph

Release Type: Full-Length

My so-called "better judgment" is saying I should be preparing for my midterm exams that are coming the day after tomorrow but honestly, fuck that. Besides, writing about Converge is heaps more entertaining than trying to memorize the Ideal Gas Laws. Anyhow, I am posting about these guys in celebration of their soon-to-be-released new album and my recent binge into metal's angry half-brother, hardcore. My little expedition into the world of hardcore punk began with this lovely band and now things have come full circle.

I know I'm quite prone to exaggeration but believe me when I say Converge are among the most influential and respected groups in hardcore. This release (and Jane Doe, commonly hailed as their magnum opus) should leave you no reason to doubt that. No Heroes storms out of the gates with the quad-barrelled assault that is "Heartache", "Hellbound", "Sacrifice", and "Vengeance". These songs showcase Converge in excellent form, with Kurt's dissonant guitar runs and Ben 's drumming whirlwind propelling the charge while Jake's trademark snarl at the forefront of the aural assault. "Weight of the World" slows down the breakneck pace, dipping into an atmospheric but unsettling instrumental, before they launch into the nihilistic title track. At this point, this is the Converge we all know and love but "Plagues" takes a turn into doomy riffage and slow, lumbering tempos. Album epic "Grim Heart/Black Rose" clocks in at almost 10 minutes, bringing to mind "Jane Doe", although it culminates in a very chaotic fashion, blasting punk beats and feral vocals riding a wave of crashing guitars.

"Orphaned" is an interesting animal, riding a sharp guitar hook that nonetheless still carves up virgin ears. "Lonewolves", a 2-minute anthem gives us a taste of Jake's "singing" voice before taking back to it's primal bark. "Versus" could be the most melodic track on this album, riding a fairly straightforward rhythm but nonetheless rips. "Trophy Scars" is another excursion into slow-paced apocalyptic atmospherics and "Bare My Teeth" hooks you in with a guitar riff that bleeds nihilistic fury. The album finishes with "To The Lions", a 3 minute barrage of dissonant tremolo picked fury and pounding drums.

Converge was and always will be one of my favorite bands in extreme music, and with any luck, they might become one of your favorites as well.

Find out here.

Purchase:

- Deathwish Inc.

- Amazon

Captain Cleanoff - Symphonies of Slackness

Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/captaincleanoff
Release Date: 2008
Label: Obscene Productions
Release Type: Full-Length

Alright. I've been a bit of a lazy cunt recently, so I apologize to my lovely readers (there must be at least one of you out there who enjoys my colorful writing). Sorry doesn't say much I know, so I'll just let this bad boy do the talking. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you Captain Cleanoff. These boys can grind up some mean death metal riffage and sport a Carcass-ian dual vocal approach (hence the reference to aforementioned band album title ), and that's all well and good. But when it comes to those grooves. Oh boy. There will be headbanging, that's for sure. Plenty of it. Down to the last few fucking seconds of the monster that is "Wizard's Sleeve". Now I could talk about "Your Fate", "3234", "Hardcore Fashion Parade" "-Insert Random Song of Your Choice-" and their sweet riffs in my typically verbose manner but it'd be better if you go download this and find out yourself. I will say though that "Wizard's Sleeve" is pure headbanging gold. My back is still hurting from thrashing around to it. Could be the fact that I'm a malnourished, unhealthy lazybone who hardly exercises but oh well, the point is, this is good shit. Now, go ahead and let your back suffer a similar fate as mine.

You won't regret it.

Purchase:
- Amazon

Demolition Hammer - Epidemic of Violence

Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/skullfracturingnecrology
Release Date: 1992
Label: Century Media
Release Type: Full-Length

Alright kiddies. Face-ripping thrash is the order of the day and I hereby present you Demolition Hammer's Epidemic of Violence. And believe me, this rips. Except not. For a band packing this many headbanging riffs, this powerful a guitar tone, this much double-bass blast runs, this many blistering Slayer-esque solos, these guys don't shred your face as much they completely fucking cave it in. Yeah, that's about right. These guys are armed to the teeth with riffs, and almost every single one of them will make you headbang like a maniac, provided you aren't afflicted with some disease of the bone which rends you incapable of showing your appreciation for thrash metal in the simplest and most common way. In that case, you should just try and try not to give a fuck about the consequences. This is music best listened to with a bottle of beer in one hand, horns raised high with the other, and your neck and head in constant headbanging motion.

Show your appreciation for this fine headbanging masterpiece by doing some fine masterful headbanging.

Purchase:
- Amazon