Sayyadina and the digital law of the land

This space used to be reserved for a review of the latest Sayyadina comp. First the preview link was taken down. No big deal. Then I got a DMCA email stating the review was breaking copyright law. How? With no download, the rest of the info is in the public domain, namely the band's MySpace and the Relapse web store.

They place the post in draft status and asked me to remove the offending data. Since there was none, I deleted all the comments (where the link used to be, along with disparaging remarks about a half-assed album by a really good band) and put it back up.

But now, today, I get another email about this post and again it's in draft status. So, even though there was nothing in the post that was not made readily available on the band's website, I am killing this post. It can't be Relapse, as they have been cool about everything else. So it must be the band.

Either way, if it was "you": fuck you. And until I know who it was, I refuse to support a band that brings the hammer down on me for encouraging people to buy their records.

Rotten Sound - Napalm EP

RottenSpace
Type: CD/DVD
Release: 2010
Label: Relapse

Napalm was my excuse to buy a Rotten Sound t-shirt. I'll admit it. After hearing Napalm Death covers, steadily, for the past 20 years I expected little from this six song EP. I was dead wrong. I'll admit it.

The three new Rotten Sound songs are great. The band is faster than ever before. Their tone is as rotten as ever. And their writing skills have struck a nice balance between the three distinct RxSx incarnations (From Crust Til Grind > Exit > Cycles). "Mindkill" has an obvious Exit sound. "Dead Remains" sounds like one of the better tunes from Cycles. And "Brainload" takes every thing to the next level. It's a solid indication that the new album will place RxSx right back on top of the Grindcore heap. It might even be so good the hipsters think it's "this obscure new band from Finland."

So what about those covers? They fucking slay! Instead of covers we get Rotten Sound Renditions Of Napalm Death Classics. Their tone is far deeper and more distorted than classic NxDx and they made no attempt to hide it. The Kill comes and goes. You will recognize the intro but the rest is a distorted blur. Nick Bullen would be proud. Missing Link, from the greatest grind EP ever made (no hyperbole, all truth) gets proper rendition treatment. And saving the best for last, their take on Suffer The Children blows the original right out of the water.

There is also a DVD taken from their Obscene Extreme show in 2007. No, I'm not ripping it for you. Here's the shirt, courtesy of Relapse.

Come What May

So last night I saw Magrudergrind and Misery Index kick off their tour here in the states. The local openers were horrible and my friends and I suffered through walks in the cold to convenience stores just to avoid them (although one named Shotgun to the Dome was quite tempting just due to their name). All things aside, nothing was truer when Jason Netherton claimed "we should be opening for those guys [Magrudergrind]."

Misery Index formed out of the ashes of Dying Fetus, who at it's heart was a good death metal band who knew how to get people moving. While earlier works like Overthrow, Dissent, and Retaliation showed some wicked breakdowns and slams, they were more about the grind than anything else. Unfortunately, that all changed with Discordia which showcased a sterile production, longer songs, and an overall generic vibe that we come to expect from relapse death metal. Tendencies that couldn't be forgotten from the slam days of Dying Fetus became more apparent and the music watered down into super cleanly produced death metal metal which a touch of grind. A real shame, as I love Overthrow.

They played two new songs from their upcoming album, and it was much of the same. Slams in between blasting sections and a strong chorus like effort to get people moving. It works well live, as I enjoyed myself, but I can't say I'm too excited for their latest.

Maybe it's because they were picked up by Relapse, a label who's done well putting extreme metal into the market (Baroness, Pig Destroyer, Mastodon, etc) but I don't know how fair that is as Jason and the boys were always accustomed to bigger labels (Nuclear Blast, etc). Whatever the reason is, it's a real shame.

So here's to you, Misery Index, in 2001 you were a better child, and grindcore now, seems to have less of a footing here in America, we can only hope you bring it back someday.

P.S. Yes, Magrudergrind kicked ass. Even though I'm not the biggest fan of their latest but they really tore it up. The energy's still there and I'd gladly see them a hundred times over.

Download

-F

And for those who are interested, here's the setlist for Misery Index.

Comp Crazy Finale - This Comp Kills Fascists

Fascist Killers Space
Release: 2008
Type: CD/LP /7-7" Boxset
Label: Relapse / Deep Six

Timeless. Instant Classic. Oldie But Goodie. Terms of endearment proof positive not that the collective output of the music industry is a pile of coal stacked higher that Mt Everest - which it is - but that the footfalls of scouring music fans creates just enough pressure to form gems worthy of us scratching the surface for. And there is also a fourth, equally important category which happens to be the subject of this review: Iconic.

Just think about the number of bands who went from relatively unknown to releasing an acclaimed album within a year of this comp. Without looking at the track list we know Maruta signed with Willowtip and released In Narcosis. Weekend Nachos, then a powerviolence act, signed with the mighty Relapse and released the hardcore masterpiece Unforgivable. Spoonful Of Vicodin went from virtual obscurity to releasing their back catalog, a new album, and if that was not enough, found themselves touring Europe - and along the way sharing a few stages with Insect Warfare on their farewell tour. And of course ASRA, who went on to release the punishing The Way Of All Flesh before calling it a day.

And the goodness runs deeper. Grind godfathers Brutal Truth used the comp as a catalyst for their comeback album. Kill The Client, Insect Warfare and Magrudergrind make an appearance. It's essentially the Who's-Who of Extreme Metal Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow, on one CD assembled by probably the only man with enough clout in the industry to pull it off: our favorite Defense Contractor, Scott Hull. Rarely has one comp served as a springboard for so many bands to launch themselves squarely into the extreme metal mainstream. But that can be said another way: rarely are so many quality bands available with new material when the right producer comes knocking. It was the perfect storm, and as luck would have it, we the fans are able to reap all the rewards on this iconic CD. Cheers, Mr. Hull. I appreciate you.

It does exactly what it says on the tin. Listen at your leisure. Own this fascist killing comp today. The packaging is top-notch: each band gets their own page on the inlay card - and the CD itself features George Bush sucking a dick swastika. And vinyl? Worth every penny, plus shipping. Cheers.

Playing the waiting game

Two years ago Power-It-Up announced a Nasum Tribute. I love tribute albums. One reason is that contributing bands tend to use their own sound and approach to the songs they cover. Another is that these compilations invariable contain a few bands I have either never heard or completely forgotten about. So tributes are a great way to rekindle interest in older bands while sparking interest in the new breed. And seriously, how can you fuck up a Nasum song? Seriously. Flash forward to last September, two years and five updates later, we get word that it's a double CD and the release date is November 2k9. Yet here we are, with seven days left in the month - and nothing is for sale. But the promos have been shipped out, and know what that means: it's out there, right now, in some lucky fuck's CD player. That also means you can download it. Sure enough, a quick search yields torrents and download links a plenty. But the point is that here we are, us Nasum fans yearning for a fix, playing the waiting game... Dear Power-It-Up, my credit card is standing by.

For the past six months, at least, on Inhume's Myspace page there is a message that makes every fan take notice: New Inhume Album in 2009 on War Anthem Records. Checking the War Anthem web page gives additional information: the new album is due in November 2k9. This is starting to sound familiar, isn't it? Well, here we are, with a week to go and there's only an cover and a few songs to drool over. I was not much for the early Inhume records. Brutal Death Featuring Blast Beats is not my style. But Chaos Dissection Order is the business. Here they not only incorporated proper grind but showed an understanding of the genre. Add to this that the split with Mumakil showed every indication that they are continuing down this path and you have my full attention. So where is it? Even an update along the lines of "be patient" makes the waiting game much easier than silence. Dear War Anthem records, my credit card is standing by.


In other news, Rotten Sound just signed with Relapse and will release an EP in March '10. This might be a good move for them. Already being established, they should be able to hit the studio and do things their way.

Agoraphobic Nosebleed - Agorapocalypse

Type: CD

Release: 2009

Label: Relapse

ANbSpace

Focus tends to be the last word that comes to mind when I think about Agoraphobic Nosebleed. Take the 12 Days of Sodom EP which consisted of brief, looped industrial static behind Randall chanting the title of each Day. Or the oddly random answering machine messages posing as music. Or cramming 100 songs on a mini-CD... Before an idea was even mapped out, it seemed like ANb was already moving on to the next one. They were not interested in trivialities like Rough Drafts, or even First Copies - it was all the proverbial Business Model Outlined On A Dinner Napkin.

So, what am I trying to say here? Quite simply: ANb wrote actual songs this time around. I know, shocking, huh? To put that another way: Scott Hull is back. Sure, there is a whole new breed of PxDx fans praying to their holy trinity of Hyperviolet-Gravedancer-Loathsome who may feel otherwise - but for my $12+shipping, this is the best work Senior-Seven-String has bestowed upon the world since 2001. What brought about the change? Probably that movie soundtrack he wasted a year of his life on... which the director subsequently didn't even use. Who wouldn't that piss off?

On the docket are 13 songs of crossover grindcore ranging from 50 seconds to three minutes. The guitar work drips with energy and is undoubtedly the most intense we have heard in years. Huge Gonzo-Violence riffs, shredding solos and breakdowns with a degree of punishment only an extra guitar string can add. If you can think of anything remotely crossover thrash, it's here. And the drum kit this time around is remarkable in sound and quality. It's triggered, of course, but at least sounds plausible. Excepting a few quad-time cymbal rolls on top of the regular rhythms in two songs, every track contains drumming that could be preformed by the Brian Fajardo's and Derek Roddy's of the world. There's even a free-style, down-beat heavy drum solo for our ears to feast on.

The funny bit is that Jay Randall himself gets caught in the focus act. As always, he is writing the lyrics, so you know what to expect: innuendo-laden teen angst filtered through cock fetish humor and an ass-load of self-referential mockery. That about sums it up. But all things considered, these are the best ANb lyrics to date. Looking at Timelord Two you read about a man who traveled back in time to kill Jesus, only to return home and discover he actually killed The Beast. What does he do? He sells the remains for next to nothing to a Japanese guy who ends up programming the world's first blast beat. Is there a message here? Grindcore freaks smoke crack and worship Satan? Who knows? There is also the magically entitled First National Stem Cell And Clone which asks Christian mothers a very honest question: what cock wouldn't you suck to save your child's life? Then on the self-referential side comes Question Of Integrity which sums everything up masterfully:

You want to talk to me about Pig Destroyer?

I smoked crack with a fucking cop

You want to see ANb live?

We'll take the deposit and just not show up

True to just about every ANb release, Randall invites someone to suck his balls. It's practically a meme by now. There's a Discordance Axis, Pig Destroyer and a number ANb plugs; reference to the Honky Reduction 10"; and probably my favorite line (if not from my favorite song): I'm giving up my ego, my desire, my vanity, all to fill one tiny need: To spread open my ass and shit on your dreams. Over the top? Of course not. ANb have been in their own purple smoke-filled stratosphere since day one.

This is one of my favorite releases of the year. Check it out and decide for yourself. If you don't like it, tell us why. Relapse offers two versions. You can get the CD for $12, or for $4 more you get the CD in an old-school long box which comes with a mini poster, four buttons and an ANb east-coast-gonzo-violence patch.

Weekend Nachos- Unforgivable

Site: Myspace
Release: 2009
Type: Cd, Lp, Full Length
Label: Relapse
Genre: Power Violence/ Hardcore

From my experiences power violence can be a fickle genre. Many of the big names of the genre encompass completely different attitudes, sounds, and styles and yet still fly under the banner of a pretty specific genre. Bands like Charles Bronson and Hatred Surge are labeled as power violence, yet showcase two completely different styles, the former being quite humorous and heavily flirting with lighter fair like skate punk and what have you where the latter delves in to the more extreme and punishing metal side of power violence. Regardless of the specifics there's the key traits of energy, passion, and disdain to some degree or another; and it is with the later of the three that Weekend Nachos finds themselves.

With a name more akin to those of bands who like to exploit the humor in their music and carry a party atmosphere, Weekend Nachos drastically deviate when their sound comes into comparison with those said bands. Originally off put by their name, i was completely flabbergasted when i heard some of the most poignant/vehement hardcore i've ever heard. What really attracted me to Weekend Nachos' sound is their emphasis on the violence in power violence.

Drifting away from the thin and punky sound of many hardcore/pv acts, Weekend Nachos employs a very bottom heavy sound (nothing like MITB) but more like a metal band, or one of those horrid xXthugcoreXx bands. This immediately caught my attention and made me motivated to thrash through this short LP. Showing a great apperciation for sludge, Weekend Nachos masterfully pulls off many breakdowns which heighten the energy so much on this LP and really encapsulate the violence and misanthropy they're trying to evoke. The slower sections on this album are all my favorites.

2009 starts the album off with some gloomy sample and delves headlong straight into the hardcore frenzy only to slow back down in Elevated Tracks which evokes a dark and brooding atmosphere with some kind of sample in the back; this is one of the highlights of the album. The fluidity of the album is phenomenal; the band segways from thrashing d-beats and power chords to lighting fast blast sections to midpaced stomps and quarter note breakdowns. The energy and flow is perfect and never lets up.

If you like your music dark, violent, and angry then Weekend Nachos is for you, resembling an Eyehategod of sorts for power violence, Weekend Nachos' keep the staples of the genre and blend in personal influences and a sense of misanthropy above all. More tough than any Hatebreed clone, Weekend Nachos stray far from their silly name and evoke a sense of dismal violence that one would assume to be plenty painful live.

While the production job doesn't sound DIY, a seemingly large staple of the pv community, it works in spades. It's heavy, unrelenting and completely obliterating. The vocals are deep and angry bellows offset by the occasional higher pitch yells. Along with the tone, many of the lyrics come through as sing along beatdown choruses which are evisceratingly brutal. The mosh parts in Shot in the Head and Reason to Die rank amongst the best that the album has to offer.

While I can't comment on previous works I can say that this album has made me a definite fan. Surely to be a favorite of the year for me, Unforgivable showcases a level of misanthropy I've been unable to find in power violence, and it makes me happy.

Buy the cd here for cheap (as well a t-shirt/cd combo) or buy vinyl, as well as other releases here.

Antigama - Warning

Antigama MySpace
Release: 2009
Label: Relapse
Release Type: Full-Length

Ah, yes: Antigama. One of those bands people either love or hate.

For those who do not know the band, they indeed belong in the grindcore discussion. What sets them apart, or creates the confusion (depending on your attitude) is that their passion to grind can be overshadowed by their passion for experimental riffs and crusty hardcore. They have fused these genres together well and have no problem transitioning from one style to the next.

True to their roots, abrasive and dissonant riffing are Antigama's leitmotif. A definite clean break from the golden days however is the bands' overall speed and accuracy. Regardless of personal opinions about the music, the fact of their musicianship should be accepted without question.

How about the riffs? A signature aspect of the songwriting on Warning is choppy stop-starts - razor-quick palm muted riffs that "tactically pause" before crashing back into the music. Many bands use this at transition points, or for effect at the end of songs. Antigama use it stylistically. There is a tease used appropriately in the first song, but our first full exposure comes in the second track. This is used notably on "City" and "War" but should be expected throughout the album.

Sticking with the riffs: it comes as no surprise that the shorter songs tend to be the more focused and straightforward. It is here that we catch Antigama leaning toward grind. Still, they make time to toss in a dissonant riff or two. Prime examples are the scorching opener "Disconnected," and "You Have the Right to Remain Violent." The only song that fits the traditional grind bill is the Disrupt-esque "Not True."

Structure wise, many of the songs on Warning are designed around a thematic riff. They like to weave all their disparate sounds and styles in and out of that riff as the song progresses. In some moments, like in "Jealousy" and "Heartbeat," that riff is more high-speed indi-rock than extreme hardcore - and there are equal moments when the riff is blisteringly quick... And then there is "Lost Skull" - the groove number - which admittedly features some pretty creative, if not entirely "metal" segments in the middle of the tune.

The track list shows 16 songs with a playtime of 35 minutes. In my amateur opinion, this album should be 11:30 shorter. The best way to accomplish this is to leave out three "songs." The first is "Sequenzia Dellamorte," an electro-ambient track that only serves as an interlude. The big issue here is that creating bathroom breaks in the middle of an album destroys continuity. The second is unlucky number 13, "Paganini Meets Barbapapex." This is an electronic mashup of smooth piano jazz and breakbeat glitch that goes on for 1:54. And finally: "Black Planet," a 7-minute effort to bring down the curtain on Warning - when the speedy "Orange Pills" would have done nicely.

I happen to like the other 13 songs, so I ripped the CD and burnt a copy without the offending titles. Problem solved: irritation abated, album thoroughly enjoyed.

Newer Pig Destroyer fans will like this, as Lost Skull goes well with Gravedancer/Loathesome. That and many Antigama riffs are similar in style and structure (if not in length) to everyone’s favorite "Hyperviolet." In the grand scheme of things, Antigama is a good band who are just not for everyone - so check out as much as you can before making a financial decision.

You can buy it here and pay for shipping, or buy and download the MP3s. Depends on whether you want those three songs...