Everyone seems to be dropping Velvet Underground reference when the Muslims name is getting mentioned. I don’t’ hear it. Johnathon Richman yes, Lou Reed’s posing, nah bro. On the face of it the tunes all seem pretty rudimentary, simple, repetitive guitar strumming and vocalist Matt Lamkin’s dry, almost spoken delivery. But you keep it playing and it gets damn catchy. ““Everybody's talking and talking and talking”- spews Lamkin on ‘Future Rock’ and from what I’ve been told a lot of the talking in Southern California is about the Muslims. With good reason. There songs may be simple but they are cool. You’d be hard pressed to find a cooler song than ‘Bright Side’ with its killer guitar. I head that they may be recording their record with Pall Jenkins of Black Heart Procession who in a word is – awesome.
www.themuslimsinfo.com

Tim Scott

When Old Man Gloom released their 21-minute epic Seminar III: Zozobra in 2001, few could have foreseen the revolution they were about to spark. Suddenly, as if returning from the pits of damnation, a cacophony of ultra slow, demented sludgers began pounding the scene with clumsy and laboriously slow-mo tunes, pounding riffs into a repetitious death. Not that OMG were the first to embrace the ‘driving-with-the-handbrake-on’ style, goodness knows the likes of Melvins, Crowbar, and Sleep were pushing the boundaries long before Turner and his cliquey pals created the Gloom, but it was OMG that returned the genre to the spotlight for another, fresh ‘round of doom-laden noise. More recently Sunn0))), Boris and Halo have championed the much-despised cause, and now Monarch! want in on the action.

Based in France, Monarch! are a female fronted four-piece that push the limits of down-tuned, down-tempo sludge. Riffs are cumbersome and ever-so-slow, the percussion raw and clumsy, the bass barely in time and the vocals hellish.

A 2CD package, Dead Men… consists of the bands newest album Die Tonight along with the hitherto vinyl only release Speak of the Sea, which interestingly enough is classed as disc 1 in this set.

Speak of the Sea opens with a long version (at twenty-six minutes I wonder how long the short version is) of ‘We Are The Musicmakers’. The tempo is slothful, the guitars ringing out before being struck for the chord progression, and petite but committed Emilie screaming in pure agony over the torturous sounds emanating from the bass-heavy rumbles.

‘Dead Men Tell No Tales’ meanwhile is a static noise/drone fest with some whispered word recalling the more ominous works of Darrin Verhagen with it’s ‘radio reception’ type production.

Die Tonight provides two tracks, almost identical in their twenty-minute length, starting with ‘Winter Bride’. The tune crawls along as per usual with some spooky off-tune wailing from Emilie, before picking up in intensity (though not pace) at around the 7-minute mark when the bass and drums join the fray, and Emilie adopts the hellcat persona again.

Overall Dead Men… is a quality release, though one must be prepared for significant speaker damage to occur and the potential to be crushed by the sheer weight of it all.

By Warren
www.myspace.com/monarchuberalles

Calling upon tribal forebears such as Neurosis, Swans and Pelican, Chicago’s Minsk is a captivating quartet with musical apocalypse within their earshot and gut-wrenching emotions on their sleeves.

As loud and chaotic as they are introspective and considered, Minsk have unleashed a hellish album, complete with epic dirges and contrasting sounds. With half the tunes buffering the 15-minute mark, Minsk take their time getting to the point. Yet it’s path well taken.

As they fuse the organic and natural progressions with otherworldly synthetics and soundscapes, The Ritual Fires… takes the listener on a journey where disturbance is the main attraction. Desperate vocals clash with disparate movements: as subtle as a butterfly one moment; as brutal as a sledgehammer the next.

Like a soundtrack to your nightmares, The Ritual Fires of Abandonment disturbs the senses and distorts reality in the process.

By Warren
www.thesoundofminsk.com

The life and times of one Mr. Rick Ta Life have been chaotic and unpredictable indeed. Few among us foresaw him taking up a career as a professional jockey and I’d be surprised if any would have guessed that in the ’06 he’d be gracing the fine shores of Australia with his significant but considerably smaller (from being a jockey presumably) and less tattooed presence.
The proof is before your eyes. Rick Ta Life goes incognito and cleverly disguises himself as a feral smack-head dressed up as Rick Ta Life.

I don’t really know him from a bar of soap but I’m pretty sure Josh (who as well as doing this zine also plays in Hard Luck) is a mad cunt of the highest order. As in the first issue this is a bunch of interviews, a little bit of extra writing and no reviews. He interviews Extortion (and manages to be one of the very few people to give that band questions that aren’t complete rubbish), does a pretty comprehensive retrospective interview about Last Nerve, asks Straightjacket members about their fav Aus records of past and present and does reprints of old interviews with Steve Wiltse (Our War, TOH zine) and Siege.
I’ve like both issues and I think I sat down and went cover to cover with each but I gotta say that although I’ve been happy I’ve also left… kinda a little bit wanting, as if this particular slice of pie wasn’t quite enough to fill me up.
The interviews are well done but… I dunno… they’re almost all there is in the zine.
As in the first issue the intro says that this was rushed so hopefully next time he’ll have time to include more sections and break things up a bit.

Also… fucking next issue is gunna be a combined effort with Cut Sick and is supposed to have a comp 7” with it! How fucking sick!
righteous_josh@yahoo.com.au

Ari

Though Germany’s My Sleeping Karma have found a home on stoner-label Elektrohasch, this four-piece instrumental act probably have more in common with artists such as Saxon Shore and Explosions in the Sky than most of their labelmates.

That’s not to say MSK are in no way connected to the stoner scene that Elektrohasch so proudly contributes to. If anything it’s an indication of just how far the band can go as they mature and spread their wings.

Their debut long-player is a magical mix of bottom-heavy groove, psychedelia and rock-based movements that gnaw into your consciousness. Trippin’ on images of mysticism and spirituality, MSK fuse Sabbath with Floyd and take the listener on voiceless journeys surrounded by airy keys and an addictive rock-groove, recalling the early days of Sh’mantra.

Undoubtedly one of Elektrohasch’s finest moments and an awesome way to kickstart the new year!

By Warren
www.myspace.com/mysleepingkarma

Miso’s are sick!
For some stupid fucking reason I’m only now realizing how good this demo is despite the fact it’s been out for ages.
It looks like shit and it doesn’t even come close to capturing how good they are live (although it’s closer than I thought) but fuck me if it doesn’t have at least a dozen killer moments! From the shitty fucked-out guitar distortion that inadvertently makes the opening riff sound like the start of Op Ivy’s Knowledge, to the Minor Threat worship pushed through a blender of street-punk influence and the flat-out shouted vocals interspersed with random screams that paint a vivid mental image of these bastards thrashing around a bedroom or garage in whatever crappy suburb they live in, drinking warm beer and falling over each other and although it may be possible, perhaps even easy (particularly if you haven’t seen ‘em live), to sit back and dispassionately say this CD is rubbish the thing is that if you can appreciate the fact that this is three guys in what is pretty much their first proper band having an absolute blast you’ll realize that it’s not in spite of, but, because of their lack of skill, practice etc etc that makes them fucking great cos half of this shit is sheer spontaneity. I mean… their vocalist didn’t even turn up for the recording so then and there they changed the line-up around… and it’s still good. If you can’t love that what can you love?
And so…
Miso’s are sick!
http://www.myspace.com/misomaniax

Ari

With a glorious mix of youthful naiveté and enthusiasm, coupled with a punch-drunk love for ferocious punk and hardcore, these four boys from inner western and coastal NSW became a flagbearer for the Australian punk scene, along with other now-legendary acts such as Hard-Ons, Vicious Circle and The Hellmen.

Musically unruly, the band played with reckless abandon, stealing elements of thrash metal and punk. Far from just emulating their overseas counterparts, the band formed musical alliances with the crossover scene in America, but brought a local flavour as they tore up stages across the country. Stages that were shared with local thrash metallers like Slaughterlord and Mortal Sin as well as international bands such as Rollins and DRI.

In a time when punk was all too often associated with right-wing and hate politics, Massappeal broke all the rules. Wearing flannies, riding skateboards to gigs, and possessing a laid-back nature some may now term ‘slacker’, the band found a fanbase in those that were open to change.

Freshly remastered and repackaged, Nobody Likes A Thinker – the bands first mini-LP – provides a much needed reminder of what Australian punk is. Graced with the classic ‘Choose Life’ artwork, Nobody Likes A Thinker is now a 2-disc affair encompassing the original recording as well as the Bar of Life 7”, the Young, Dumb & Naïve demo, compilation tracks, and live sets from The Canberra Inn during the DRI touring, and a Waterfront instore.

Vocalist and founding member Randy Reimann also provides a first-hand account of the bands history as he remembers it, in the 20pg layout. Interspersed with band photos (with an under-construction Darling Harbour in the background), gig flyers, and other Massappeal memorabilia, the reissue serves as a historical document for those that are too young (or too old!) to remember.

By Warren
www.chatterboxrecords.com

The maturity displayed between Massappeal’s debut mini-LP Nobody Likes A Thinker and Jazz – their first full-length - is frightening.

While still raucous and dangerous, Jazz is a far more refined affair in terms of structure and overall presentation. The production is still raw, giving the songs an edge still relevant today – 16 years after it’s initial release.

The reason for the growth is simple. Firstly there were four years between recordings – four critical years in the young men’s lives. Furthermore, drummer Darren Gilmour was replaced with Tubby Wadsworth, who in turn was replaced by Dave Ross of Vicious Circle.

Whereas Nobody Like A Thinker was akin to listening to a road accident, Jazz is like listening to it in slow motion. Everything about Jazz is more rhythmic than it’s predecessor. The riffs, the drums, even Reimann’s vocals, which are more Mike Muir-esque this time around. Lyrically Jazz is more introspective with observations about self as much as the world them.

Like it’s companion reissue, Jazz is full of liner notes and flyers reminiscing of times past.

By Warren
www.myspace.com/massappealhc

I’d occasionally heard Miles Away on radio shows and never thought they were worth much but I figured if there was ever a time when it was worth checking them out it was probably worth going with this 7” rather than one of the CDs.
So with that in mind I’m not sure if this is representative of all of their other stuff but if it is… well… let me put it this way: it means there are a lot more fucking morons out there than I could ever have thought possible.
Fuck… this is just a poor fucking attempt at hardcore on pretty much all levels. The ironically titled Brainwashed almost manages to pull off that Comeback Kid et al uber melodic shout along youth crew thing but falls apart with the too often repeated saccharine-sweat guitar riff and the clumsy and heavy handed attempt at some sort of emotional sincerity at the end.
The other tracks? Well they’re nothing but filler and poor filler at that.
Miles Away

Ari

It is to G7’s credit that they took a punt on Greg Macpherson. Known throughout the punk community for their politically charged and punked-up releases from acts such as Propagandhi, The Weakerthans and The (International) Noise Conspiracy, Macpherson stood out from the crowd not only in sound but also in delivery. Playing a style more reminiscent of Bruce Springsteen than Sick of it All, Macpherson utilises his story-telling techniques to turn political themes into narratives where characters are affected by government policies day in/day out.

Macpherson’s first album for G7 (Good Times Coming Back Again) was decent enough release with a rocky edge and tales of tragedy and triumph. The follow-up Maintenance EP, however, is where people started to take notice. With a Clash cover and a few live tracks, the EP’s highlight was a tune called ‘Company Store’ which explored the perils of a mining town gone bust, and the resulting workers’ union revolt.

Maintenance was capitalised upon with Night Flares – a sparse album showing song-writing growth and maturity, and further personalising his political message. Night Flares drew further comparison with working class heroes such as Springsteen and Billy Bragg.

Before all this however, Macpherson released Balanced on a Pin with a little help from CBC Radio and Manitoba Film and Sound. Originally rejected by G7 as being too college sounding, the album provides some insight into the man who is destined for larger things both artistically and commercially.

Again quite raw in its production and craftsmanship, Balanced on a Pin opens with a delicate acoustic guitar and Macpherson showing off his falsetto and his number dyslexia (“9, 7, 5, 3, 1000”). Though predominantly a low-key affair, tracks such as ‘Genuinely Frozen’ and ‘Buy a Ticket’ provide moments for garage-styled rock, while ‘Summer’s Over’ threatens to disappear into it’s solitude.

Currently only available as one of G7’s digital releases, Balanced on a Pin is essential for any Macpherson converts. Newbies however, would be advised to start at Maintenance.

By Warren
www.g7welcomingcommittee.com

Caught up in G7’s big digital experiment, Mico have released their third album of dark and complex alt. rock online for ease of access, doubled with minimal outlay.

Predominantly centred on the creative mastermind of John Alan Stewart, Mico have combined brooding rock with a punk aesthetic and a touch of art rock to create Our Living Language.

Calling on a revolving door of musicians to commit his ideas to tape (or hard-drive as the case may now be), Stewart fleshes his ideas out with drummers Troy and Mark Fleischhaker, guitarists Pat May and/or Todd Harkness and a handful of violinists and trumpeters. Sometimes Stewart does it all himself, such as ‘Art, Death, Art’, but mostly he prefers the company of others, adding to the bombastic nature that moody rock can be.

With slight touches of Placebo and Muse evident, Stewart ensures Mico keeps a distance from such complete comparisons by taking his songs down unexpected paths. Some tracks are instantly memorable, while others take a few listens before they begin to unfold. ‘Halfway State’ is an album highlight with its subtle string arrangements and momentum-building percussion.

Though in no way masculine in its delivery, Stewarts songs are often derived from anger, specifically that over social injustices. Unfortunately though his vocals do lack some punch to complete this message. But where his voice lacks confidence, he makes up for in his conviction.

By Warren
www.g7welcomingcommittee.com

Like the proverbial chicken and egg conundrum, alt-metallers the world over could argue Slipknot vs Mushroomhead ‘til the cows not only came home, but staged an Animal Farm-styled coup on top of it.

And to be frank, I couldn’t be arsed in participating in the discussion. Both have more members than necessary, both draw from diverse rock influences, and both hide their identity in a vain attempt to not be vain.

Granted, I am years outside the bands’ target audience of 17 year-old middle-class males, so I am not the ideal reviewer for this here disc. But my years of review experience can tell you that stylistically Mushroomhead are little more than a cacophony of Slipknot, Strapping Young Lad, Soulfly, Korn, Marilyn Manson, & Fear Factory.

Chunky riffs are interspersed with subtle industrialisms, devastating vocals and a rhythm section tight as a ducks’ arse. Clinical production via the drummer Skinny adds to the SYL feel (ie: soulless), while the lack of guitar interplay throws into question the need for so many band members (there’s eight of the bastards).

So while I can appreciate that the angst-ridden but otherwise financially comfortable teen down the road will lap this up with suitable aplomb, to me it’s pure shite.

By Warren

If you’ve never heard of or don’t know much about Melt Banana… well… fucking personally I’d say you’re missing out and I’d love to lay down some decent education but truth be told I’m not sure how much I can really bring to the table.
They’re a four piece group from Tokyo who play a completely off the wall brand of wigged out noise/punk/dance/pop, have been around for over ten years, have over eight full lengths and well over twenty EPs (including numerous splits).
They’ve been associated with everything from noise hardcore (split with The Locust), grind (split with Discordant Axis), cranks (Steve Albini worked on two of their albums), nuts (Mr Bungle members guested on another) and geniuses (John Zorn), they tour extensively and run their own record label called A-Zap which has released a lot of their material.
I’m only really familiar with their later stuff like the Cellscape LP, 666 6” and, now, this 5” and have heard parts of one of their earlier LPs Charlie which was a lot more Lo-Fi and complicated.
Apparently with their later stuff they started aiming for a more hi-fi poppy sound because they didn’t how their earlier releases sounded on radio.

Any-fucking-way all that shit aside Melt Banana are fucking sick! It’s really hard to pin down the best element. The guitarist (who also does solo stuff under his name; Agata) is a genuine fucking nut when handed his instrument of choice. He seems to attack it as much as play. More often then not the sounds produced are just metallic crunches, odd pick slides and oddly rhythmic squeals. The vocalist sounds like she’s just finished with a truck load of acid and/or ecstasy and is in her own little tripped out fantasy world completely absorbed with all manner of wild subject matter. In the face of that the traditional rhythm section is left with little other option but to remain fairly straight ahead if only to keep the whole thing from getting the insane stamp. I say traditional rhythm section in that last sentence because sometimes it feels a little like the vocals and guitar have tripped out and fallen into playing rhythm as well.
.
On this latest recording, released early to mid ‘06 they bust out another original and a cover of The Damned’s Love Song.
Their original track, Snake Song, is almost indescribable, the guitarist seems to spend the whole song doing little else but…. well I think he’s just fucking around on two or three notes either bending them or sliding off of them or something and just creating this repetitive space-guitar bouncy feel. There’s reverb all over the place on both the guitar and vocals (which are executed very similarly to the guitar) and as usual it’s left to the drums to keep a punk drum beat going and push the whole mess forward.
The Damned cover I don’t really dig. Well in some ways I do but in other ways I think the strength of the original stemmed from how haunting yet uplifting the vocals were and in the hands of Melt Banana the vocals are reduced to chipmunk like squeals and the basic pop instrumentation is mutated with a series of distortion squalls and massive effect laden pick-scrapes which creep all over the original guitar riffs like some kind of bacteria. I do dig it from the perspective that it lends some kind of control test to just how weird Melt Banana are and allows us to see the extent to which the riffs are recognizable but played in a completely differently way and it makes me genuinely wonder, once again, if Agata was taught to play his guitar with a different technique then anyone else be it by a psychotic or and alien or whatever and, so, is actually incapable of playing standard riffs rather than reluctant.
The cover also highlights the amazing thing about Melt Banana which is not just that they are completely crazy both musically and (possibly) mentally but that they are also possess a strong sense of… almost child-like naivety. Time and time again you’ll find in their music that despite very abrasive, heavy and fast elements it is also really happy, fun and innocent and in that they create something which I think is completely, or at least very, unique.

Oh and fuck there aren’t any lyrics with this release… but I just can’t stress enough that this is a band where you simply do not get the full effect if you don’t see the lyrics sheet. I mean…. the lyrics to Cellscape seemed like they were all about hunting ghosts!
Yes Ghosts!
Hunting them!
If you haven’t heard them before try to check out some songs off of Cellscape or the 666 6” and work your way back.
Melt Banana

Ari

Arty shrieked Casio punky rock from the Bay Area. Aimed towards the same people you see in photos rolling drunkenly around in parks on Fecal Face They have been known to sing through telephone mics. Kind of like if the Blood Brothers had a smaller budget and less people Of the 13 quick songs on offer- ‘Advantage Out’ and ‘Harboring Hosts’ best demonstrate the shrill vocals of Ellery Sampson and the pretty/fucked up(?) keys of Dan Tierney. The record is good but live is where I imagine they are at.
Tim Scott

Still fucking punchy still fucking loud! Just when you thought they’d reached a peak they go off and build a whole new fucking mountain!!!

How the fuck can this band keep getting better?!?

Remember when you thought Mindsnare had fucking nailed it with Credulity? Then they kicked it up a notch and did even better stuff on the Congress split, another great record with the Whi… I mean Hanged Choked and fuck even better again on The Death.

Yes yes yes fucking yes the trends continues.

Word is a 7” on Shortfuse has been in the works since way back in ’97 with the rough idea of it chopping and changing over the years like an indecisive transsexual.
It’s here now though.
It’s a girl!
Three new Mindsnare tracks and a Septic Death cover (Terrorain) which is more than fitting cos Matt’s vocals have definitely moved more in line with Pushead over the last few years; more shrieked, more manic… sounding like they’re being just fucking ripped out of his body word by word, line by line, song by song.
No surprise it’s different but you’d still find certain traits that you’d always associate with Mindsnare. Shredding bass breaks, those really tough as fuck drum build-ups…. hrmmm actually the guitar harmonics seemed to have fallen by the wayside but the guitar sound is fucking MASSIVE and thrashy as all fuck!
All four tracks are amazingly fast, grimy, vicious… fucking perfection. Oh and the solo on Tear Me Down just fucking wait until you hear that 5-10 seconds of aural orgasm. Sheeeeeit!
I kinda feel like I’ve been giving out way to many positive reviews lately especially cos not everyone wants to buy a record per day and eat Mee Goreng all week but fuck if you spent all your money on magic beans and Terror t-shirts (both wise investments I’m sure) and can only afford to buy one 7” this year for fucks sake make sure it’s this monstrosity!
shortfuserecords@hotmail.com

Ari

The much-anticipated debut long-player from Melbourne’s hardcore-heroes-turned-art-rockers, My Disco is finally upon us - though ‘long-player’ is somewhat of a misnomer, as the total running time fails to hit the 25-minute mark.

Such minimalism, however, is reflective of their musical palette. Focusing on rhythm and atonality, the trio (featuring ex-Clann Zu and Agents of Abhorrence members) weave a somewhat static magic in their clunking cadences. Fans of Helmet, The Mark of Cain, and Killing Joke will appreciate their sparse art, as the rhythms border on monotonic math rock, with fewer peaks than the Nullabor.

That’s not to say there are no moments of greatness. On the contrary, My Disco’s discipline pays off for those patient enough to take the journey more than a few times before expecting some gain.

Liam J Andrews’ vocals are by no means jaw-dropping, but they provide an added old-school element lost any many of today’s performers. His bass is integral in the rhythmia as is Rohan S. Rebeiro’s intricate percussion, which may be beyond comprehension to non-musos. Meanwhile Ben W. Andrews’ six-string steps back, content on adding on light to the shade rather than being the light.

The brevity may put some punters off the full price of admission, but this is one of the few ocassions where less is definitely more. Had the album gone on longer for the mere sake of it, the atonality may have taken it’s toll, seeing the trio disappear up their own arseholes.

By Warren
myspace.com/mdband

A4 sized cut and paste zine by Josh who also plays in Hardluck and before this did one issue of a zine called Sick of Talk. It has interviews with Benchpress, No Apologies and Infest (taken from Kent McLard’s No Answers zine) as well as some show reviews and a brief run-down of the more essential early Boston hardcore releases.
Written down that doesn’t look like a heap but this zine is pretty packed with a lot of other random stuff and it treads a really good line between being informative (and hence valuable) but also still a little elitist (so not pandering, boring or worthless).
But yeah fuck the random shit is what really kinda makes it for me: there are a few little rants, a tribute to Straight Ahead, the live reviews (which are saved from their usual mediocrity because they are written in a conversation and diary type style), lots of good photos of old US hardcore bands and overall a real sense of the guys personality as well as lots of worship of both old and new bands. Borrowing the Infest interview was definitely a good idea and well worth doing; it’s really cool to read about Infest when they were just starting out.
To lay some criticism though he says that it was kinda rushed which at times shows and whether it’s related or not it’s a little bit of a shame he didn’t expand more on stuff like “Boston’s Golden Oldy’s”…. oh fuck and I’d definitely describe this (in an very affectionate shit-stir) as being part of a holy trinity type affair with Us vs Them and Cut Sick in terms of current Aus zines that fucking love ‘80s US hardcore.
righteous_josh@yahoo.com

Ari

Like most Cold Meat releases, Mercurial Behaviour is serious music for serious music fans. There's no tongue-in-cheek irony or well-constructed humour to be found between these 10 'Acts'. The very fact they're called 'acts' as opposed to songs, or at least tracks, proves my point.

Mercurial Behaviour, like other Cold Meat albums, is theatrical and dramatic with neo-classical arrangements played on digitized studio-equipment, and verses spoken like a sombre and focused Nick Cave delivering a lecture on the psyche of a serial killer. Folky acoustic guitar is accompanied by sparse percussion and gothic organs, creating a disturbed soundtrack to an equally unnerving scene from a disjointed, sepia-drenched horror-flick.

By Warren
www.coldmeat.se

Mind Eraser-Glacial Reign LP
www.painkiller.com

Speaking of Malice, How about that Mind Eraser-Glacial Reign record? Again, the bass is the same disgusting, lurching monolith of low-end-age that drags your humdrum smooth bass clichés through 2 kilometres of blackened swamp before dumping it behind an old car body amongst some reeds. Vocally, this band has gone under a massive natural progression that was merely hinted at on the Cave record. The psychopath who used to offer you money in exchange for your underwear at the train station after school has done his time and has been let loose on society once again. He has already put away about 6 cans of Special Brew, purchased a claw hammer, lost all his belongings and is walking towards you. The drumming on this record can only be compared to a violent home invasion. Perfectly planned and executed, it just makes so much sense. From the cutting tones of ‘’Abuse excuse’’, to the random stabbings of ‘’Equation’’, this fucker rips your worthless paintings down from the wall, kicks over your pot-plants, smashes your crockery and throws a brick through your television. Guitar-wise this is the same cacophony of fists smashing guitar bodies and dissonant chords being struck against some rusted, tetanus soaked bench shears. It's pretty obvious that the guy has shelved the "Internal’’ record and the ‘’Fighting Music’’ ep next to his Ted Bundy books for the meantime and has pulled out ENT, Eyehategod, Black Task and some old Bosch prints. In fact, some of these riffs will make even the most ardent anti-metal campaigner kneel down and kiss the goat; or at the very least, give old William a bit of a hug.
www.painkillerrecords.com

Sir Miles Lidget-Smith

Despite the depressive elements of his songwriting, Jason Molina has never been short of motivation. Having released over 30 titles (albums, EP's, 7's) in ten years under a variety of names (Magnolia Electric Co., Songs: Ohia, Amalgamated Sons of Rest) and with a number of collaborators, Molina has successfully garnered a loyal and committed following of alt country types, appealing to fans of Wilco, Will Oldham/Bonnie 'Prince' Billy, Iron & Wine, Damien Jurado, etc...

On his latest solo effort Molina revisits his Pyramid Electric Co and Ghost Tropic eras, with subdued, introspective thoughts accompanied by stark and lonesome acoustic guitar. The vocals play a staring role in each of the tunes, with the minimal instrumentation taking a backseat.

The writing and recording method of Let Me Go... was to write and record one song at a time in his home studio, with minimal editing and with no overdubs. The result isn't always spectacular, but in true Molina style, they are nevertheless valuable.

Opening with 'It's Easier Now' Molina sounds strained and in desperation, defying the title. Simple piano chords are struck cautiously, with the vocals recorded lo-fi and with plenty of echo adding to the loneliness of the tune.

Familiar lyrical themes are revisited in tunes such as 'Don't It Look Like Rain' and 'Everything Should Try Again', but it's the dense 'Get Out, Get Out, Get Out' that acts as the album's highlight. Bare percussion underpins Molina's longing for a destroyed relationship. Lyrics such as “I lived low enough so the moon wouldn't waste its' light” exemplifies his incessant self-deprecation, reaching into the dark recesses of doubt within us all.

Given it's depressive nature it is advisable to ensure all sharp objects are locked away before slipping this one on.

By Warren
Label website: www.secretlycanadian.com

MEC frontman Jason Molina has been described by some as the this generations' Neil Young – an accolade he did little to rebut when, on the band's live Trials & Errors album they finished with an original that included a re-appropriation of the Young classic 'Tonight's The Night'.

Like Young, Molina believes in capturing every thought to tape, with the bare minimum of cutting and editing, resulting in a saturation of releases; some faultless, others a bit questionable. Indeed, 2006 has seen the release of 2 Molina-related albums, with another 4 rumoured to be ready to go.

Fading Trails is less an album, and more a collection of tunes recorded in various environments with various producers. Unfortunately the one-sheet provided with my promotional version doesn't detail which track was recorded by whom and where, but anyone with a trained ear and a comprehension of Molina's history could hazard a relatively safe guess.

The final tracklisting collates from sessions with Steve Albini, David Lowery (at his Sound of Music Studio, and again at the famous Sun Studios) and home recordings from the 'lost' Shohola album.

The first three tunes sound most like the Songs: Ohia creditted Magnolia Electric Co. with their carefully planned teasing followed by welcomed releases of emotion. The slide-guitar is ever-present and the loose back-up instrumentation is as close to Crazy Horse you're going to get this side of the millenium (Ladyhawk excepted). 'A Little at a Time' is more like Molina's solo work, with it's sparse and spacious approach, as is 'Spanish Moon Fall & Rise'.

Again Molina visits lunar themes which featured heavily on What Comes After the Blues though 'northern stars' are not so prevalent this time around.

By its very nature the album is less cohesive than previous Molina output, particularly the Magnolia-era between 2003-05. It is no less a Magnolia album though, with the band making significant contribution to the collaborations.

As noted on a MEC gig-flyer I currently have as my wallpaper “Fans of Neil Young, Will Oldham, Springsteen and My Morning Jacket would be dumb if they stayed home.”

by Warren
Label website: www.trifekta.com.au

Aready a seasoned drummer and banjo-player, New Jersey's Kristin Mueller thought it time to step out on her own, and in doing so created a remarkably sparse, but intimately beautiful debut.

Though Mueller employs a variety of instruments (viola, pedal steel, clarinet, banjo, mandolin) she wisely strives for a minimalist approach on each track. This results in compositions that, though tempting to embellish, are better left at their most basic, inviting the listener into her honesty and exposing her vulnerabilities.

Opening with the almost post-classical 'Domesticity Song', the brief album soon relaxes into some genuine alt-country and delicate folk with the brooding 'Five Cents'.

Blessed with vocals that are soothing in the centre and rough around the edges, Mueller is able to be delicate enough to express the intimacy required, while her gruffness suggests a certain integrity. Nowhere is this most apparent than on 'Home'; a slowly building tune that threatens to disappear into silence before laying it all before the listener in one last effort to convey emotions of loneliness and hope.

'Liberty State Park' is a lazy alt-country tune with pedal steel throughout and crawling vocals, while the closing 'Hopefully' is the album's finest with it's building keys, repetitive mandolin/banjo dual and Mueller's vulnerable vocals.

Whereas some Dren release come across as sterile and casual, Ports of Call is a shining light and hopefully a sign of things to come.

By Warren
Artist website: www.kristinmueller.com

The vocals on this are diabolical. The first song I thought was mixed all wrong, then I was thinking maybe it was being sung in another language, an alien language, but upon closer listen I realize he is singing English albeit in a very over wrought crappy Thrice kind of way. The singer has ‘left’ the band. The band should have made him ‘leave’ before they recorded this because he truly does suck.
www.falcomrecords.com

Tim Scott

Shane McGowan half staggers half falls up to me… only moderately drunk by his standards… but the wet patch tells me he’s still pissed himself at least once. He leers at me and mumbles something. He’s bloated and sweaty and his false teeth are crooked. I can smell the urine as he leans in closer.
Looking around the room there’s at least half-a-dozen of his ‘boys’ lining the walls. I quickly walk away. He keeps talking to my empty seat for a few seconds and then the anger hits. I can hear him yelling after me and the sound of chairs crashing as he tries to walk. There’s a hand on my shoulder. I can hear ‘the boys’ laughing.
I’m leaving tomorrow so I turn around, grab his testicles, crush them and toss the fucking dice. THEN RUN!
Thirty-six hours later I’m in a shitty room in Melbourne half-way around the world. It’s proof that government housing is the same the world over. The lift had two security cameras. The cold hallway had dirty concrete floors and walls that were helped none by the shitty indoor plants.
My cousin is trying to draw me a map to get food. His Irish accent is only barely noticeable after a few years of living here. He’s too drunk to stand up. I take a container to get him some as well. I hide a small rolling-pin on me in case of trouble.
The charity food-vans seem much the same here too. Fucking christians! They give us food with friendly understanding smiles that barely conceal what they’re really thinking.
There’s a gang of weird looking goth-hippies nearby that have been staring at us as we eat…. looking annoyed for some reason. They’re all wearing black and have clean faces, good teeth and fair skin.
Another van pulls up. The goth-hippies get excited and swarm it. The people around me slowly make their way over. The food they lay out looks kinda shitty. I can’t see any meat in it and I can’t work out who these people are. I ask one of the goth-hippies. She becomes all excited and says something about bombs. I see the words ‘fucking nazi-punks’ or something like that written on her friends top and notice the odd swastika here and there on their designer patched clothes. They all seem inexplicably happy about having to eat in the street like this. I’m fucking gone.
My cousin takes me drinking that night to celebrate my arrival. We go to The Tote cos it’s nearby. It’s ok. Kinda scummy but in a bearable way. The bar staff keep commenting on my accent so I try not to talk too much. The same goth-hippies from earlier start coming in. I’m a bit uncomfortable but my cousin tells me not to worry about the skinny freaks.
A band starts up and both me and my cousin freeze with glasses half-raised to our mouths. We turn around slowly. All the goth-hippes are dancing… some doing mock jigs some as if they’ve taken to much acid which I don’t think they really have.
Yes this band sounds like The fucking Pogues.
At least they sound like some kiss-me-I’m-Irish watered down version with the vocals of someone trying to pretend they’re an alcoholic mess but not actually McGowan. They’re singing about ‘the boy’s’ and ‘beer’ and all the same old shit. My cousin’s knuckles are clenched white around his glass. The glass breaks as we simultaneously hear the lyrics about collectives and realize they’re not only goth-hippy-punk-nazis but communists as well. I drag him out of the place before he can throw a bottle or break a nose.
I’m starting to wonder if it was a mistake coming here.
Ari

A name synonomous with dark indutrial, MZ.412 have returned after seven years of virtual silence, only to announce there will be no more. Their final album, poorly titled Infernal Affairs, is a somewhat typical MZ.412 release, and as such befitting for a swansong.

Part 1 of the death-march-like title-track provides the perfect send-off soundtrack, as it mournfully creeps in sorrowful procession, along with mechanical howls, not unlike the alien-craft in the most recent War of the Worlds flick.

Infernal Affairs is as cohesive as it is dark, as it weaves in an out of manipulated noise and unsettling ambience. The track listing is deliberately polarised, as the chaotic 'Point of Presence' which descends into an all-out noisefest, is succeeded by a dark and apocalyptic soundscape in 'Lord, Make Me an Instrument of Your Wrath'.

Throughout their years, MZ.412 have earned a great deal of respect and admiration within the gothic and industrial scene for their uncanny ability to move the listener to stop. No MZ.412 recording is offered for casual listening pleasure, and Infernal Affairs is no different. It demands the listeners' undivided attention, prefereably within a suitable environment such as dimmed lights, incense, red wine, etc...

As a final album, Infernal Affairs neatly closes an important chapter on the European dark industrial genre.

By Warren
Label website: www.coldmeat.se

I can’t say I’m at all familiar with Misery Index history, nor do I know much about the current state of death metal. Ignorance aside, Discordia is an album that takes me back to the mid-nineties when death metal mattered: rolling double kicks, choppy riffs, blast beats, guttural vocals and rumbling bass lines – all performed in a majority 4/4 time, albeit sped up to quickening proportions.

Solid production accompanies the album, with an overall sound that is beefy and brutal, complimenting deadly serious tracks such as the blinding opener ‘Unmarked Graves’, or the retro ‘Dystopian Nightmares’.

Death metal easily stales, and its’ the drums that provide the integral factor between fresh and forward thinking compositions, and tired thrash-by-numbers affairs. Misery Index are aware of this and their drummer, Adam Jarvis (who, as I understand it, is new to the fold). Jarvis’ work is frantic and carries the lions’ share insofar as maintaining a fresh approach to an otherwise fusty genre.

By Warren
Label website: www.relapse.com

First coming to my attention with their last album Lunar Ecstasy, Mountain Mirrors intrigues me with their interesting blend of sixties psychedelia, seventies prog rock, and 90’s grunge, all held together with a dash of electronica.

Taking the generator parties of the stoner crew to the woods of Massachusetts, Mountain Mirrors is centred on songwriter Jeff Sanders, who as a young lad swore allegiance to the likes of Priest and Maiden, but in his adult years found solace in Drake and Floyd.

Now onto their third album, Mountain Mirrors is refining the hotchpotch of influences and developing a cohesive sound. This self-titled affair is far sparser than his previous outings, stripping it down to a predominantly acoustic-rock format whilst retaining Floydian overtones.

Appealing to the progressive stoner (Colour Haze and Orquestra del Desierto fans should take note) Mountain Mirrors use Eastern scales to add colour to a somewhat introspective and sorrowful collection of tunes. ‘Karmic Dogs’ for example sounds like The Tea Party covering Nick Drake during a tour of Turkey.

Sanders croons like a younger Layne Staley and has surrounded himself with able musicians to complete the task at hand. I do find some of the passages clumsy and at times, pieced together rather awkwardly, but I suspect this is by design as opposed to any inherent ineptness in Sanders’ crew.

The album is less electrified than previous attempts, but the spirit of Zeppelin and Hawkwind remain, ensuring the project doesn’t simply add to the current glut of folk outfits.

By Warren
Band website: www.mountainmirrors.com

I was told it was six songs that went for less than seven minutes. Fucking awesome! Get it home and it goes for less than five. Even better! Minute long songs, caustically bitter lyrics, vocals spat out like they’re fucking bile and the occasional blink and you’ll miss it guitar solo in the background.
Featuring members of about a hundred of Sydney’s past shit-stirrer bands (most notably/notoriously of course is Reeperbahn & Godless Shark) this is the same antagonistic and uncaring stuff that made Three Found Dead & Violent Abuse lots of friends. Fed up, flat out, dirty, messy thrash with vitriol and speed in the place of choruses and mosh parts.
I should have gone to Sydney to see this band instead of staying in freezing fucking cold Melbourne amidst the trucks and drunks of the Western suburbs. Now I’m gunna have to suffer the usual handful of people not so much trying to have fun as they are intent on striking poses in front of cameras to use the next day on the internet to pretend how fucking ‘crazy’ they are.
With that crap in mind this music is summing up my mood perfectly. Scattered, bored, jaded and full of this idea that I’m somehow better than it all even though I keep miring myself amongst it. These are the kind of songs that make you feel like blowing it all off and going to look for some cheap kicks; turning the lights off as you walk out of public toilets, pressing the emergency stop buttons on escalators in peak hour, stopping and asking people for directions but driving off as they start to talk and laughing at their confusion.
coffinbirth@hotmail.com

Ari

It’s a very beautiful (but unfortunately all too rare) day when I receive a record in the mail that I actually want/and or like. Today my friends was one such day. After ripping apart the yellow envelope I was left holding this little nugget of early Eighties US hardcore. For those not in the know, forming from the ashes of Urban Waste, Major Conflict existed for a short time in the early-80's NYHC scene and they fucking ripped it up. Some say that they were not as good as Urban Waste but listen to this aptly titled CD that documents all of the band's recorded output, including their self-titled 7", unreleased studio sessions, and several live tracks and think again! Like Stiff Little Fingers if they came from Queens and grew up in the NHYC scene. Melodic, gruff, basic but superb. Songs like, "Not Just a Song," "NYC" and "Outgroup" are better than most stuff released today. They are over 20 years old!
Live tracks from CBGB’s and A7, excellent liner notes/photos and a video for ‘NYC’ meand that this is a sure bet.
www.matwrecords.com

Tim Scott

Your man Mestizo, is one pretty deep dude. Here on his second full-length album (following up the much respected Lifelikemovie debut) he’s joined by producer Mike Gao for an album that oozes class. 19 tracks of get the fuck out of here hip-hop. Check some of the rhymes of ‘Mr. Enthusiastic’ “I’m busting nuts in your trucker hat” and “I’ll twist your fucking head back”. Gao is from the West Coast and throws in some soft jazz touches with swinging drum and bass on ‘Save If For Yesterday’.
‘Unsecure in Nature’ has a cool spoken sample as Mestizo pleads for an end to basically fucked up shit in the world. This is a record that takes a good three or four listens to get your head around- there’s a lot going on both musically and lyrically but in the end it proves to be one of the most solid hip-hop/beats records of the year.
www.galapagos4.com

Tim Scott

The third full length from this indie/emo super group of sorts featuring vocalist and guitarist Davey von Bohlen of nineties emo darlings the Promise Ring and bassist Eric Axelson formally of the Dismemberment Plan
The haters of latter day Promise Ring, often whinged about things such as blandness and the fact that Von Bohlen couldn’t actually sing. For you people. I don’t think We, the Vehicles is the album for you. While it’s true – some parts of We, the Vehicles comes across as a little TOO adult contemporary, the man still has a knack for writing strong poppy indie rock.
This the Japanese version has two extra songs; ‘Before You Were Born’ and ‘Call Me Home’
www.badnews.co.jp

Tim Scott

Rage!!! This collects the 625 debut EP, extra tracks from that session, their demo and a live show for a total of 35 tracks!! This now sadly defunct band played with both a brutal honesty and you know that dirty word in punk rock - FUN. They actually had fun at their shows. The people who came to them also had fun. They were not a joke band by any stretch of the imagination but they made you think, made you do those lame little moshy dances but most of all they made you grin like a fucking loon. They will be sorely missed. Get this and smile like a loon in the safety of your home or car.
dangersouslysmall@yahoo.com

Tim Scott

www.thekorarecords.com
Sublime melodies and plaintive lyrics that bring to mind the best of Elliot Smith, the songs on Volume 1. are divided into chapters, but taken as a whole the record is work of dramatic and mature songwriting skill.
Bragg strums his guitar and softly sings along with gentle accompaniment of The Terminals, consisting of Brian Minter on piano/keyboards, Jon Roth on drums, and Elizabeth Olson on cello. Highlights include My Only Enemy and Carolina, sung with the kind of plainspoken honesty that cuts to the core like all the best Elliot Smith songs do

- Tim Scott

‘Seven’ the opening song from MMM starts with a relative calm. A calm you just know is gonna be short lived. Sure enough around 20 seconds in it breaks into a spazz. A spazz that if you weren’t already expecting may cause you to spill half your cup of soy latte over your nice corduroy slacks. From there the spazz doesn’t really let up. Keyboards can be heard from time to time but on the whole it’s bombastic spazz. Their second track? More spazz, this time with more shouty vocals you can listen to while you may or may not be dabbing spilt coffee out of those dacks.
Polar. Good match for the b-side. Why? Because this Virginia band also lay on the spazz albeit in a little more singy kind of way. Shouts out to the dude Christian who played guitar on one of the MMM songs and sang a bit on one of the Polar songs. People like Christian are important to the scene. He can’t be fucked starting his own band but doesn’t mind hanging out in the studio and helping out on his friends record.
Tim Scott

Instantly setting themselves up as a retrofitted crossover act, Municipal Waste reek of classic SOD, DRI, MOD and countless other achronymic acts from the late eighties, which would undoubtedly appeal to the many diehard oldschoolers that have tired of the new tosser-element that’s crept into the hardcore and metal scene in the last twenty years.

The band have done a variety of splits and indie releases over the years in the underground, but now with ex-Discordance Axis/Human Remains/Burnt By The Sun drummer Dave Witte on board, the band have risen to major indie status, with this their Earache debut.

Classic mosh riffs a’la Anthrax and Nuclear Assault abound, alongside some gang vocals for that crossover puritan feel. Speed is a constant, with most tunes easily falling under the 2.5-minute mark, while the vocals are socially observant and biting in delivery.

Given the current interest in metalcore, Hazardous Mutation serves as a timely reminder of the genres’ roots, and that punk and metal co-existed quite nicely before y’all were probably even born!

By Warren
Label website: www.earache.com

www.eatenbysquirrels.org
First release on lathe cut vinyl for Eaten By Squirrels with two Italians one man bands.
Prague is this Italian guy called Alessandro Viccaro who plays guitars and vocals. His song ‘Save Us’ is cool. It won’t blow you away. That is what Napalm Death are for.
My Dear Killer is another Italian guy who also does the solo acoutstic guitar thing. This stuff is real soft. Not weak, just soft. Good for listening to at home, not at a building site or on headphones at the Nascar track. Only 50 hand numbered copies were made, that is of course if you care about that stuff.
Tim Scott

www.handssolo.net
Quality beats and rhymes from this Swiss and Philly international collab mixing up the production duo of Hands Solo and DJ Fico with MC Maylay Sparks. While the skit like ‘Intro’ that has Maylay arriving at Zurich airport to be greeted by his partners falls onto the side of cheese – not sure if it’s Swiss or Philadelphia - things get better if you hang with it. ‘Small Time Thing’ mixes up some nice melodies with piano and strings. Fico takes over the reigns for ‘Through These Veins’ for a more down tempo number.
Things get jumping by track 5 ‘Soopa Freak’ with Maylay’s strongest contribution on the record and Fico pulling together some killer sounds, including a funky horn, which is in a word ‘rad’. Looking forward to more collaboration between these guys.
Tim Scott

Somewhat of a departure for Dren Records – usually known for their Americana and folk releases – Miss Mary is female fronted garage pop at it’s most simplistic.

Until recently the frontgrrrl for The Oscillators, Miss Mary has stepped out on her own to deliver a 60’s influenced garage pop album complete with musical nods to Sahara Hotnights, The Spazzys, and The Breeders. Ironically supported by many of The Oscillators, Ready 2 Pop combines fuzz with jangle impressing the indie fan in all of us.

Opening with a dense bassline lifted straight from L7’s tablature, Ready 2 Pop is cheery and cheeky in the one instant. Occasional forays into ballad territory take a slowcore approach, floating on the breeze like a good Pavement or Sean Lennon tune, but the majority of the album is centred around simple guitar driven pop.

Basic three-chord structures, unassuming vocals and a feminine lyrical approach about boys and fluttering hearts make Ready 2 Pop a naively fun album.

By Warren
Label website: www.drenrecords.com

With the recent glut of singer/songwriters clogging the airwaves with half-baked ideas of corporate hippiedom, you’d be forgiven for thinking that quality, politicized songwriting traditions had been completely forgotten. Sweet relief it is then to receive a copy of Greg MacPherson Band’s third full-length, Night Flares.

The main difference between Night Flares and any number of singer-songwriter albums currently doing the rounds is a) integrity, and b) quality.

Drawing from working class heroes such as Bruce Springsteen, Joe Strummer, Ted Leo, Bob Dylan and Mike Knott, MacPherson tackles the intangible with ambiguous sincerity.
And whilst the lyrics do dwell in the cryptic, it is MacPherson’s vocal performance that is on display, as the instrumentation often takes a back seat, merely offering transport for the vocal cargo.

Self-produced, the album is a sparse and oft-times somber affair, but one that refuses to dismiss it’s working class rock history. Applying traditional 4/4 timings (occasionally courtesy of Jason Tait of The Weakerthans) and the usual array of stringed instruments, MacPherson toys with structure and delivery to create unique and heartfelt tunes.

‘Two Haircuts in One’ opens the album in a relatively safe manner, though the application of baritone guitar in place of the traditional bass gives it a dry and realistic sound. ‘Cutting Room’ acts as a clincher, closing the deal on the skeptical and undecided. It’s rumbling bassline threatens surrounding foundations, whilst MacPherson muses: “I’m so ordinary, I’m so unoriginal”.

‘The Show is in the Basement’ is ushered in with just electric guitar and voice, as MacPherson sets the mood. Three-quarters of the way through squalls of feedback and drums capitalize upon the anger and frustration of MacPherson’s muse.

‘Pressure’ is a patient and delicate piece that introduces the listener to the other, more introspective side of Night Flares. Looping a basic riff, gentle keys and fret-meandering is applied alongside MacPherson’s Canadian accented rasp.

‘Southern Lights’ is perhaps my personal favourite with its acoustic-rock approach and infectious melody. The characters introduced here display an interesting dichotomy – one filled with naïve hope, the other desperate to escape – and is as a clear an example of MacPherson’s growth since his last album Good Times Coming Back Again as any. Nathan’s Keri McTighe adds her delicate vocals that, at first, appear weak, but after time make sense in context.

Both ‘Blind Date’ and ‘California’ crawl along, proving MacPherson’s brilliance in their own individual manner. The former tests the patience of ADHD-effected listeners, with chords ringing out before the next one is played. Percussion is sparse and used only to maintain tempo, as slow as it is. MacPherson’s vocal delivery is semi-whispered in a that Pete Murray kinda way, but without the ponce and crooning. ‘California’ meanwhile is perhaps MacPherson’s vocal highlight as he sings a strained homage to the “city of quartz”. Lyrically, ‘California’ is also a highlight as MacPherson paints a clearly visible picture as he “coasts in slow, over Reno”.

‘The Sun Beats Down’ closes the album, and again carefully adopts the snail’s pace. So, whereas many albums like to go out with a bang, Night Flares just sort of slips out before the listener realizes it’s over.

By Warren

Artist website: www.gregmacpherson.com
Label website: www.g7welcomingcommittee.com

Considering few bands actually survive beyond a few local shows, the fact that Norway’s Motorpsycho are now into their 15th year of existence stands as a testament not only to their dedication, but also to their diversity and subsequent broad appeal.

Equal parts sixties pop and nineties grunge, the one constant in Motorpsycho’s repertoire is psychedelic uncertainty. Following on from their highly applauded double-disc release Trust Us, Motorpsycho’s latest is another melting pot of generations, styles and approaches. From the opening trip of ‘Uberwagner’ to the final moments of ‘Composite Head’ the listener is never certain of what lies beyond the next riff. Sweeping post-rock movements laced with progression collide with sweet melodies lifted from the Age of Aquarius, presenting an album destined for repeated listens.

‘Circles’ draws from sixties folk whereas it’s follow-up, ‘Neverland’ utilizes the harmonium, giving it a Doors feel in keeping with the fat, authentic analogue production.
Vocally ‘Neverland’ is a playful tune with lots of ‘ooh-ooh’s and sugary melodies, immediately offset with the dank but trippy blues of ‘This Otherness’.

In true Motorpsycho style, the packaging is exquisite with symmetrical artwork throughout, complimenting the aural experience. An album complete, It’s A Love Cult is as good a place for any Motorpsycho novice, but also one for the legions already converted.

Warren
Artist website: motorpsycho.fix.no/Label website: www.musicfarmers.com

The mess that was Mr. Hyde and the Jeckyls featured member(s) of Terror Firma and Blake plus Drunk Pete of Whitehorse and ‘death metal outfit Missing Link’ on vocals. It’d be so easy to go either way on whether you like or dislike this cd and most of the good points could also be bad things for you. The cymbals are so thin and high in the mix that they sound like sleigh bells, the guitar distortion is really weak and the vocals are an acquired taste just like MYC or the Blood Brothers are. The really undeniably cool thing about the cd though is that every song is different there’s an aggressive one, a sleazy dance one, a stoner epic, an anthem and one that sounds like a pixies song but with screamed vocals (which is where the weak distortion definitely sounds cool).
No, fuck no, actually the undeniably cool thing about this cd is that there’s a live video filmed at the Green Room which goes for at least twenty minutes and has a heavier (but sloppier) sound and amateur pyrotechnics plus you get to see a lot of hipsters looking confused and sometimes worried as they pretend that they don’t care that the singer of the band is standing behind them…somewhere.

Peter qwwzz

Sixteen live songs which apparently are from 1982 although there’s no indication as to where the show actually took place (it may well be a bootleg of a bootleg). The sound qualities ok, more than adequate but sometimes it’s a little too bassy and the vocals are often hard to hear, probably from mike grabs, crowd vocals etc. The track listings a bit weird, it has 13 tracks but at the end of the last track there’s a pause and then three more tracks: ‘Out of Step’, Steppin’ Stone’ and ‘Look back and Laugh’. The weird thing about this is it means there’s two versions of ‘Out of Step’ on the CD which sound different to each other so these last three tracks are assumedly from a different live show but as there’s absolutely no information with the artwork (which is just photos ripped from the discography CD) so it’s hard to know for sure. The CD has 14 of their 25 songs but doesn’t include ‘Minor Threat’ (!), ‘In My Eyes’ or ‘No Reason’. The track listing does includes a song called ‘Not The Same Blues’ however which rather than a previously unknown song turns out to be just an improve blues thing that goes for about 50 seconds with the lyrics “we’re not the same” as sort of an intro to ‘Guilty of Being White’. I haven’t heard any other live stuff before except a dodgy video so this was always going to be kinda cool but no doubt there’s better out there.

Peter qwwzz

The second cd, another six track EP, from the New Zealand four piece who were a mix of cool and fun but now seem more cool and less fun. Well… no it’s still fun in that Q & Not U, Origami, Remake Remodel, Die, Die, Die kind of way but it seems like the band themselves are less intent on having fun and more keen about being cool. But then if you get mixed up with Vice magazine in any way shape or form that’s probably bound to happen. The songs are probably better than the first EP musically but the feeling of chaotically fun spontaneity has decreased a little. Another big minus of this release compared to the first is that it only has a one-page booklet with cool dude artwork instead of psychedelic freak out stuff: although in all fairness the cover does have a picture of a guy with a penis leading into his brain and that’s pretty freaky. So yeah stand alone it’s a kick arse CD but marginally less so when compared to their past effort.

Cool first EP from New Zealand’s version of Q & Not U (except without the lyrics about avocado washing machines, killer medicine cabinets, animals partying in hospitals and other stuff like that…. which is a shame really check the lyrics). A four piece band with guitar, bass, drums and a vocalist the main idea seems to be to create some dance rock that’s actually interesting so amidst the “woo’s”, “hey’s” and other hilarity’s there’s a lot of time and mood changes. The first time I ever heard of The Mint Chicks they were compared to At the Drive In which is a bit misleading but kind of true if you try to think what At The Drive In would have been like if they’d really digged fashion, dancing and ecstasy breakfasts. The artwork, which was done by the guitarist, is really cool too (and its actually art!) it’s all fucked-up psychedelica like a hippie’s 520th acid trip and seems happy and cool until you notice the little killer bunny rabbits all over the place and that ALL the people have freaking tubes coming out of them! Or are they going in?!?

My Disco!
Collapse of an erratic lung
Crashing Jets

Independent first release on the bands own record label carved onto a limited run of 600 dinner plate thick Czechoslovakian vinyl 7-inches. I came to this having been completely blown away by the sheer brilliance of their live sets. The skill of each member makes them captivating to watch and enjoyable to listen to as the music flows from haunting to technical to dancy. With that in mind I struggle to think of any criticism at all for the recorded equivalent.
Featuring member(s) of Clann Zu, Blarke Bayer and Agents of Abhorrence and ex-member(s) of Heartfelt Self, Days of Iris, Non Intentional Lifeform and who knows what else no comparisons really do justice but for the sake of reference maybe an angsty darker Faraquet or Yage mixed with shades of Shellac and Fugazi???? Varied jazz timed drum beats, a clapping section in one song (bon gut ya!), smile inducing bass lines and walls of finely crafted guitar feedback (unlike the random toomuchcoke rockstar variety) amongst finger stretching fretwork. There’s no traditional song structure and the vocals don’t really even have primary importance as they’re fairly sparse and to me often seem like another instrument. Try to imagine vocals over the top of Don Cabberelo, Godspeed, Lightning Bolt etc….when the music’s extremely interesting vocals can become a liability so they’re used sparingly.

My Disco!
Language of Numbers
Crashing Jets

This is the kind of music that makes me wish I had really really high quality speakers. Take out a large mortgage just to pay the deposit kind of speakers.

The second release from the Melbourne three piece comprising member(s) of Clann Zu, Blarke Bayer and Agents of Abhorrence and ex-member(s) of Heartfelt Self, Days of Iris and Non Intentional Lifeform. It’s difficult to describe the result for anyone who hasn’t heard them and tempting to use simple but meaningless descriptions like post-hardcore, post- rock or post-modern? Post-jazz? There is a little bit of jazz actually or at least the drums seem to play a jazz beat now and then and the bass has a certain jazz feel to it between the more innovative sections.
On this release though it’s the guitar that really starts to kick ass. For some sort of comparison think of a combination of Shellac and the Mars Volta amidst aggressive masses of feedback. A lot of the time the bass (and more so on this than the 7-inch) plays support but when it comes to the fore….well…well fuck…..whole roomfuls of people (even jaded hipsters) start grinning and bobbing their heads.
Do you know how hard it is to get jaded hipsters to do anything but hang off the end of a cigarette? Yes it’s just that good and the combination of all of this is the kind of music where you can just put it on and listen start to finish with interest, no distractions.
There are vocals but they’re not intrusive, personal but vague so if you wanted you could really get into them and examine and identify or alternatively just step back and treat them like another part of the whole, just another instrument rather than the main focus of attention.
Compared to their first release, the Collapse Of An Erratic Lung 7-inch this is a bit more technical and even gets mathy with razor sharp time perfect stops. The guitar appears to get the most attention and hence seems the most impressive element whereas before it was hard to pinpoint exactly what part of the band was the greatest cos they were all so good. There’s also a song, or the intro at least (Robot Song was it?), from their demo and another one features trumpet. Available on cd or vinyl the vinyl isn’t quite as thick as the 7 inch but it’s still more of the black stuff than you’d likely find in any five other records.

Mindsnare
The Death
Trial & Error

It’s so cool when every member of a band is ultra fucking skilled and all centered on what they’re doing with no weak links. Beltsy’s written an album where he gets to play fast hardcore metal with tons of different tempo changes and little metal licks amongst the now less prominent breakdowns. The drums are a wall of blast-beat chaos and the vocals are a slightly more screamed version of the previous Judge-like shouting to match the increase in speed. The different approach is great, the increase in ferocity is ferocious and all the different things happening in each song is good and stuff and that.
My opinion on the change is it’s faster and involves a higher amount of changes in each song rather than a more metal-sound. Although maybe I’d also say that the metal sound they did have has moved more towards vintage thrash with less, possibly even no, guitar harmonics.
This is probably the closest you can get to being a tough/hardcore band and having a bit of the math sound of Dillenger Escape Plan, Daughters, Botch etc. without actually being mathy. There’s still repeating riffs but there’s so many per song that combined with the time changes, sharp stops and thrash sections it gets a bit complicated
Live the time changes are really funny!
When I saw them recently they played ‘cold’ and all the dudes got ready to do their karate chops and the metal heads to headbang. Somehow the combination resulted in a bit of a circle-pit and there was kung-fu fighting and devil-signs everywhere until the drums slowed right back. For a few seconds everyone went into a funny slow motion moshing before they realised how stupid they looked.
It’d be so cool if a really popular mosh band started fucking with their audience like that intentionally, Hatebreed could probably pull it off best with the support and established audience they have. If they just started mixing with the speed of breakdowns or shortening them to only 10 seconds long there’d be so many confused meatheads all thinking someone had drugged them and that they were trippin’.

In the cd booklet there’s a list of bands that have been influential in place of a thankyou list. See if you can spot which one I added in (no it’s not Bob Marley):

Accused, AC/DC, Acid Reign, Agnostic Front, Anthrax, Antidote, Arm the Insane, Attitude Adjustment, Bad Religion, Bastard Squad, Bathory, Beanflipper, Black Flag Blast, Bob Marley, Bones Brigade 1 & 2 soundtracks, Carcass, Celtic Frost, Corrosion of Conformity (old), Cryptic Slaughter, Dag Nasty, Damaged, Dead Kennedys, Depression, Descendents, Destruction, D.R.I.D.Y.S., Forcefed, Forcefed 9, 411, Earth Crisis, Excel, Gang Green, Gorilla Biscuits, Husker Du, Infest, Instead, Integrity, Judge, Kreator, Madball, Magnacite, Massappeal, Minor Threat, Misfits, Morbid Angel, Mortal Sin, Napalm Death, Negative Approach, Neglect, Nuclear Assault, Neurosis, No For An Answer, 108, Pestilence, Possessed, Price of Silence, Randy Rhoads, Sacred Reich, Ringworm, Septic Death, SIC, Side by Side, Sizzle, Slapshot, Slayer, S.O.D, Sodom, SOIA, Starkweather, Steadfast, Stiff Little Fingers, The Streets (Canadian Sk8 Rock), Suicidal Tendencies, Tankard, Terrorizer, Thrasher Magazine, Toe to Toe, Token Entry, Venom, Vicious Circle, Voivod, Warp Spasm, Weirmacht, & Youth of Today

Peter qwwzz

Mindsnare
Hanged Choked Wrists Slit
Trial & Error

With the departure of Bomber and the arrival of Gordy (also of Frenzal Rhomb and formerly of a metal band that will remain nameless because I don’t know it) things got a bit faster with drums pushing everything along in flurries of blast beats. Accordingly the guitars sped up but also become more interesting as if the ideas of the White EP had been rethought and properly exe-muthafucking-cuted. The tracks off of credulity and the Congress split had their fair share of guitar showmanship but it didn’t really affect the song structure unlike the mixed results of the White EP and the solid results on this release. The guitar has a strange minor sound and is often played really high and slightly discordantly instead of the standard palm muting and harmonics. The vocals are moving more towards what they would become on The Death (which is really easy to say in retrospect isn’t it Einstein) as Matt extends his words by adding a bit of a screech and scream to his still deep-voiced vocals. Speaking of deep the lyrics may well be but I don’t understand them (and I’m not sure if I’m supposed to) so all I’ll say is that they play on words a bit and bring a lot of (gruesome) images to mind.
This album enters breakdown territory too and after its release the songs began to dominate live sets. Breakdowns are cool for doing karate chops and waltzing when a band plays live, I suppose, but sometimes they can be a little boring recorded but thankfully such isn’t really the case here because of factors detailed above, i.e. speed, song structure and guitar sound.
There’s also video footage on the cd of ‘The Fall Back’ being played live at various venues (in Perth?).

Peter qwwzz

Mindsnare
Credulity
Trial & Error

The intro with the Frankenstein sample shouting over the top of the bass line for Flood is one of, no, the best intro ever.
As far as I know this was the first album with Beltsy playing guitar and Bomber was still playing drums so there’s a slower and more solid but less well produced beat than that which Gordy rips out nowadays. This is my favorite Mindsnare cd mainly because of the intro and ‘Flood’ as well as ‘Culture’ and ‘Unlearn’ but also because although those songs are highlights every other song is good too; there isn’t a single week moment.
EXCEPT for Orkoostic which is a 40-second acoustic guitar part before the last song. Arguably it’s the lull before the storm of ‘Unlearn’ but I’m more inclined to think its unnecessary, not bad just could have happily lived without it.

Peter qwwzz

Mindsnare
Self Titled
Trial & Error

The second CD with Beltsy and still featuring Bomber on drums this came in between Credulity and the Congress split. In general the CD doesn’t really come together because there are only one or two good songs out of the six which is especially surprising after the wall to wall brilliance of Credulity. ‘What is Mine’ sounds good on the CD but much better live and assumedly so would the other songs although I’m not sure many of them get played. The writing kinda seems like it was trying to experiment but any potential it may (or may not) have had suffers because of the execution which seems rushed and/or pressured. I’ve heard that Matt had a cold while they were recording, which is believable because his voice doesn’t have the same power of other releases. The production is less than stellar all round, there’s a weird restrained feel and the playing seems too slow. A couple of songs even have Neurosis ambient moments one of which progresses into an acoustic guitar part, ‘brutal’ it is not.

Peter qwwzz

Mindsnare
Numb Split
Trial & Error

Two songs from both bands and it doesn’t need any kind of analysis to say that Mindsnare definitely win. One of their tracks is ‘Among Us’ off of Hanged Choked the other ‘Died at Birth’ which is a little bit of an indication of what The Death would be like except it’s not quite as fast and doesn’t seem to be that well produced but that could just be my crappy record player.

I’m ashamed to say that based on Numb, who are generic tough guy hardcore, I once didn’t think that Japan was capable of producing any good music. The likes of Melt Banana and Buffalo Daughter have well and truly dispelled that perception. I enjoyed Numb live but in the cold harsh light of a recording they seem too slow, have (at least on Material Ward) awful awful awful back-up vocals and play really boring breakdowns.

Peter qwwzz

Mindsnare
Congress Split
Trial & Error

Cd splits aren’t as good as vinyl because someone has the advantage of going first making it harder to decide who wins. Mindsnare go start and they take advantage by beginning with one of there best (pre The Death) songs, ‘You’. I don’t really like the second song because it seems dull although others have told me the 2nd and 3rd songs are they’re favorites so maybe you will/do think the same…. It’s before Gordy came along with his drill-hammer arms though.
Congress are very melodramatic and highly metal hardcore with Caliban-like vocals (they’re from Europe too just like Caliban but I think Congress are from Belgium) who have cool metal guitar but fairly boring sounding drums both production-wise and because of how they’re played. Their lyrics don’t seem like English is their first language which I usually enjoy for the chuckle value but Congress are too serious to laugh at or with. There songs kind of merge into one unfortunately.

I’d say Congress win on the basis of their black metal take on social equality, in particular the comparison to dinner parties.

Peter sqwwzz

From the get-go you know this is an album hooked on hooks. Ushering in ‘When Good Goes Bad’ vocalist Paul Scott gets snap-happy with bouncing melodies and jingly-jangly indie riffs. But unfortunately, these ears find the whole affair just a bit too sweet.

Like anything, saccharine is fine in a balanced diet. But Montana’s sophomore disc is just jam-packed full of the stuff, coming off tasting like that sickening icing you get from store birthday cakes. Happy-go-lucky melody here, smiling happy people there… it’s just repulsive!

Style-wise the Sydney-based quartet throws innocent Britpop hooks into the pot along with indie-soaked sentiments and the occasional powerpop progression. But ultimately it’s just too polite and nary a nasty habit in sight.

Unless you’re in the market for a Valium replacement, steer well clear.

- Warren

Artist website: www.montana-music.com
Label website: www.laughingoutlaw.com.au

After five years the Murder City Devils were starting to disintegrate (their keyboard player left mid-tour) so they decided to do one last show in their home-town of Seattle with a stand-in on keyboards. This cd is the recording of that last performance.

To clarify if you haven’t heard them, Murder City Devils weren’t a keyboard hardcore band like The Locust or Horse: the Band. The keyboard was played to sound like an organ, with a very full (something is standing in those shadows) organ sound. To clarify further Murder City Devils weren’t really even a hardcore band. They were like a goth/pirate drunken rock band or more precisely THE goth/pirate drunken rock band. What AFI could be if they weren’t so sad about their makeup running or Alkaline Trio if they drank whiskey instead of beer but both bands would still have to get a lot more backbone.

If you want indication/proof of how good this cd is try to download ‘Boom swagger’ or other highlights such as ‘Press Gang’ and ‘Bear Away’. There are lots of drunken dedications and thankyous throughout and it sounds like everyone was getting a bit sentimental. All in all the show lasts for over an hour with 19 tracks, 2 of which are new. There’s also an enhanced multimedia section which includes photos and scenes from a partly made video clip for ‘Bear Away’ which was based around a reenactment of Nosferatu.

- Peter

Combine a tip-truck load of ecstasy with some Japanese musicians and it just stands to reason that something like this would happen.

Think of a generic punk/hardcore band, one that’s more punk than hardcore, any band at all will do, it’s not hard there’s plenty of generic bands around. Now imagine that band has a bass player that’s into really fat groovy bass lines.
Keep the fast drums.
But imagine that instead of learning by sitting at home practicing Sick of it All riffs the guitarist was taught by some ultra-stern zen master which caused resentment so that now all their riffs seem to be approached with a self-sabotage style in mind like a faster Shellac, discordantly high jerky riffs and LOTS of pick scraping that contrasts with the deep rolling bass.
You have to throw in some laser, missile, drill, swoosh and deliberate scratched cd sound effects here and there.
Then there’s the two ultra happy Japanese girls singing over the top of it all who have a crazy way of pronouncing English words, odd ways of constructing sentences and mind-blowing diction. Their approach to English means they can (and do) rhyme terror with halo and shiny with greed. Sometimes they sing in harmony, sometimes they seem to be racing each other. By and large they seem to be singing about ghosts and interacting with them in various ways including reasoning with them, hunting them or running from them.
And the production values are just amazing.

You now have one of the most energetic, fun, talented and different bands in the universe.

Lyric examples:

“Your hearts got plastic”
“Make your brain breath like a screen seen in your wheeze”
“I can see no pulsy but easy shriek”

…and some song titles:

Chain shot to have some fun
Like a white bat in a box, dead matter goes on
Key is a fact that a cat brings
A hunter in the rain to cut the neck up in the present stage

- Peter

Elements of metal, jazz and hardcore bubble to the surface on this heavy music version of ratatouille spiked with half a bottle of Captain Morgan. While I’ve never been a huge fan of the modern day techie mosh/metal core, these guys hold enough aces up their sleeves to keep things cooking. There are plenty of shifts in tempo and quick changes in the riffarama. Vocalist Shane Hutchinson has the power in his screaming, shrieking and what not to compete with the big guitar and drum sound. "Arrows of Helios" has them mixing in some classic grind power chords and has that menacing sound that scares your housemate that likes hip-hop when you have it blaring from your bedroom.
www.dollhouseinc.com

Tim Scott

Somebody forgot to tell these Spanish dudes that with the exception of a few people in Adelaide no one really gives a fuck about sports metal/hardcore nowadays. I think this five song EP is a little old and that they have a new album out now, whatever I don’t want to hear it. You know they SO hold up their guitars during solos and listen to Darkest Hour in the tour van. Truly awful.
www.underhillrcs.com

- Tim Scott

On this 7” these Dutch political punkers drop 10 doozies of fresh, fast and intelligent crusty hardcore. Songs deal with issues such as the powers that be who label any dissenters as ‘terrorists’, the wages of large corporate board members and the rise of public surveillance cameras in the ‘fight’ against crime. Lyrics in Dutch and English but mostly Dutch. Each record comes in a hand made cardboard sleeve and the liner notes/booklet is all quality. This is the soundtrack for your next pissed off political demo. Get it. Get arrested. Get bail and then six months community service.
http://www.roerbak-geweld.nl

- Tim Scott

Following on from the awesome ‘Vil/Viol’ and ‘Community Horse’ albums the Means bring back their spazzed out Jesus Lizard by way of Jehu rock. This is the kind of band who spits on stage and no matter how hot they are up on there under lights will always reach for a mid song lukewarm beer rather than a bottle of water. Unfortunately they have gone and called it quits but have left us with this awesome aural document. Kicking off with ‘Dear Hendrie’ a tirade against Top 40 radio and the fact that there is not a hope in hell that these guys would ever be considered on your local drive program – “Nothing In It Worth Fighting For Unless You Wanna So Start Working for the Top 40 Suits”. I love the song ‘Australians’, though I have no idea what Jason Frederick is screaming except for this fucked up sample at the end that has some guy going “Australians, Australians, Australians”. Extra points for writing a song about Charlie Theron, Charlize Theron, <3 <3 <3 (Blast Majesty)" which is just a blast beat mess.
www.wethemeans.com

- Tim Scott

Let’s talk about pop music. Light, airy, falling in love with that girl Michelle kind of pop music. The pop music that Elliot Smith, Ric Ocasek and Big Star could produce on a whim. Bill Rousseau and Dahlia Ramirez of San Fransisco trio the Monolith remind me of said pop. Their boy/girl vocals backed by the cool keyboard of a guy called Rogge, is like light sunshine on your forehead while making out in the middle of a field. If you are happy or falling in love than their songs such as ‘10X Infinity’, ‘43’ and ‘Ruby’ will have you feeling like you are in a movie- they’re still pretty cool even if you ain’t in love.

The best pop falls strangely somewhere between sheer joy and the melancholic and the strings on ‘Black Box Recorder’ add a lil darkness amongst all the loving. Elsewhere ‘Trilogy’ starts off with an acoustic guitar and sounds like it could have come off one of Elliot Smith’s earlier records, before breaking into a bombastic rocker with horns and ‘lean way back while playing’ guitar. Get this and fall in love today.
www.fortunerecords.com

- Tim Scott

These guys toured Brazil with Hellnation and Vivisick earlier this year and from all reports tore the place up. Acabar Com Voce means "Destroy You" and if these 14 raging tunes don’t destroy you they will at least inflict some lasting damage. Stalwarts in the Brazilian HC scene they play their own style not particularly following any trends but just offering up energetic speed, catchy brutality, and some great Portuguese sing-a-longs. City of God was a great Brazilian film with a great soundtrack but the addition of a couple Mukeka Di Rato songs would have made it a lot better – and a lot more brutal!
www.laja.com.br

- Tim Scott

The final installment from Jahil records turns out to be a blinder as
this 5 piece straight from the chewing gumless streets of Singapore slay
with some pissed off sounding dual screamed female vocals. Fast
thrash-metal numbers and clean production means that this stuff will
have you dancing around punk May poles in no time. Attention Australian
promoters! Why aren't you supporting South East Asian punk rock? A lot
cheaper than bringing US bands over, and in the case of My Precious and
damn lot better too! Check this stuff out!

http://myprecious.rocks.it