#11

Bill Shatnerrr – You put the Round Burger on the Square Wonderbread cd-r

You've really got to be into the dissonant hardcore sound to appreciate what Bill Shatnerrr is cranking out; “spastic” is an understatement. The crazy break-downs and tumultuous blastbeats aren't anything new or earthshaking, but the boys are good at what they do.

ZX Tapes


Collapsed Arc – In Confidence c20

The long and the short of it is that In Confidence will melt your mind. A collection of short, looped samples, it's pandemonium at it's finest. I especially dug the glitchy drum machine tracks and the pieces that were vocalization heavy. If 'experimental music' has started to bore you, Collapsed Arc is the cure.

905 Tapes


Manners – Look Into Look Unto ep

Playing quiet, folk music with a slight psychedelic undertone, Manners is the sort of band you really have to be in the right mood for. The acoustic guitar, whispered lead vocals, sparse percussion, ghostly female backup vocals, occasional violin; it leaves you with a feeling of desolation. Look Into Look Unto isn't going to see daily play on my phonograph, but when I'm in a certain state of mind, it'll be on there for a while.

Grinding Tapes


Syrinx – Detach cd-r

Syrinx manages to skillfully walk the line between mechanized drone and harsh ambient, producing some impressive work. There's something sinister about Detach, especially when the flutes make an appearance. Recommended.

Smell the Stench


Wisdom Tooth – Baby Neptune c42

This is ridiculously incredible. A pop band with lots of garage and folk sensibilities, Wisdom Tooth leaves you scratching your head and giggling at the same time. I don't know what Wisdom Tooth is doing, but they're doing it right. You should probably check this out

Spooky Town

#10

Evolv – Thoughtless Thoughts cd-r

Those on the fence about post-rock will probably be inclined to label Evolv as “nu-gaze” and dismiss it entirely. Playing minimalistic, electronic stuff, it's easy to see how the dreamy sound on Thoughtless Thoughts could be mislabeled as shoegaze. Whatever. It's got a entirely ethereal feel to it; nice change up from some of the heavier stuff I've been listening to. You like post-rock or spacey electronic stuff? Well, then this'd be worth checking out

Frozen Tendril Records


Hate Meditation – Spiritual Awakening cd-r

Can someone tell me what is up with all these Finnish black metal bands having vocalists that sound like Donald Duck? Anyhow, whatever musical talent contained on this album is ruined by the idiotic buccal vocals. Shame too, because musically, things are sounding good. But, the quack attack just ruins it.

Smell The Stench


Pine Smoke Lodge – The Final Clear Water Nightsky c47

I imagine this is what it sounds like to be out in the woods one night when you stumble upon a ritual taking place to summon some long forgotten Phoenician deity. It's two tracks of mysterious and slightly foreboding drone that have a certain ceremonial aspect. Must be the skillfully incorporated bells, flutes, and chanting. Highly recommended.

905 Tapes


Tizagoth – Ahriman Corps c45

Have you ever wondered what Burzum might sound like if Varg had been Persian and more into harsh drone? Well, your query has been answered: Tizagoth. It's somewhat unfair to pigeonhole Tizagoth as a Burzum clone, but the influence, both musically and ideologically, is obvious. I mean, there's even a cover from Dauði Baldrs. The range of music varies considerably, from minimalistic medieval sounding stuff to droned-out noise, with the majority of the tracks falling more towards the middle of the two. A few of the harsher pieces seemed a little forced, but otherwise I enjoyed Ahriman Corps.

Hellhouse666 Productions

#9

Gorgonized Dorks/xAOAx – Split 3' cd-r

This is, easily, one of the worst releases I've had this misfortune to review. Basically, it's some sort of poorly conceived concept album where these two noisecore bands fuck around, attempting to play some punk and hardcore. This is so miserable that it's not even worth delving into everything that sucks about it. Strangely, the final track by Gorgonized Dorks is a synthed out, instrumental surf rock piece (completely out-of-character with their other half-assed punk tracks) that was mildly enjoyable. Aside from those three minutes, this release is utterly worthless.

Jerkoff Records


Necrocannibalistic Vomitorium/sLoth – Split 3' cd

NxVx start this split out with two tracks of grove oriented rock n' roll topped off by dueling vocals of high pitched shrieks and guttural mumbling. Ok, I wasn't expecting that. It's interesting stuff, a fair bit of C.S.S.O. influence floating around. Up next is sLoth with five tracks of pointless no-wave ruckus. Somewhere in my record collection I have sLoth's splits with Noothgrush & Floor and I don't recall them sounding like this. Despite NxVx bringing it to the table, sLoth tanks the split. Plus when you factor in the outrageous cost of getting this shipped from Ukraine, it's not worth it.

Horns and Hoofs Records


Tortured Voice – A Hate To the Weak c50

Depressive, minimalistic black metal out of Mongolia, Tortured Voice is a pretty grim one man outfit. I wouldn't go as far as calling this melodic, but it's definitely for those who appreciate more atmospheric black metal. You only get three songs, plus a bonus of instrumental renditions of each track on the B side, but it'll be enough to hold you over until Tortured Voice release a full length.

Hellhouse 666


V.A. – European Fastness cd

So, this has been out for a while, but I'm just now getting my hands on it. My excitement at finally receiving a copy was swiftly quelled upon hearing the first band up, Britain's Ocksen. While technically proficient, they lack passion and play a generic style of modern grind. France's Xaros is next and their sound is pretty much interchangeable with Ocksen. A Den of Robbers from Belgium follows with a slightly better sound, but it's still unimpressive. I was starting to think this would be a total loss, but then Britain's The Afternoon Gentlemen were up and let loose with some tracks of epic thrashcore. Finally, Scotland's Ablach round out the cd with some low down, brutal grind. I really wanted to like this, but 2/3rds of the music is mediocre and forgettable. Do yourself a favor and just go hunt down releases from Ablach and The Afternoon Gentlemen.

Junky Monkey

#8

The Madness of the Crowd #2

Covering the hardcore, powerviolence, and fastcore scene, The Madness of the Crowd is 14 pages of interviews, reviews and some musings on comic books. I found myself a little irked with the zine's layout; page space wasn't maximized and there were large chunks of virgin white and seemingly random photo clippings. Things could have definitely been condensed down to less pages or a smaller size, but seeing as it's a free zine, I shouldn't be bitching about it. Well worth checking out if you dig the genres it covers.

TmotC


TORBA/Dotåbåtå – Split c32

Groups that attempt to blend drone and noise generally fail miserably, resulting in what sounds like harsh noise played at ½ speed. This is not the case with this cassette. TORBA starts things off with four tracks of drone that shifts between raw and hypnotic. Dotåbåtå fills the flip side with a single track that starts out as haunting, minimalist drone and evolves into a rumbling wave of sound before fading away. Take a note, this is how you do the drone noise thing right.

Hair On My Food Tapes


vessels cast from crippled hands - “IN LIMBO” discography c15

Wow, this is some jangly techgrind right here. From what I can gather, vessels cast in crippled hands put out two releases, broke up, and now, half a decade later, their discog has been released. To really appreciate these guys, you've got to be more than just a casual fan of technical sounding stuff. In fact, I can see a lot of people being turned off by them. It'll be your loss.

Epileptic Media


V.A. - 100 on '10 lp

As much as I prefer vinyl format over cds, this is something that should have been released on the latter. You've got 100 powerviolence, thrashcore, grind, and noisecore bands ripping thru songs under 30 seconds and, after about the first 10 tracks on either side, you've not exactly sure what band is playing. Also, with 100 bands, there is a wide difference in track sound quality, as well as a fair amount of just plain weak groups. This is one of those 'good idea in theory' things that never manages to work out in the real world. On top of that, the label that released this has (at the time of writing this review) closed down it's website with numerous people complaining on the interwebs about having not received the orders they paid for.

Intcollective

#7

Erasers – Summer c20

This is a real gem. Minimalistic drone with ghostly female vocals, it's hard to believe Erasers is just two kids from down-under recording in their bedroom. Despite being titled “Summer,” the songs invoke an atmosphere more suited to autumn or winter. Can't wait till these guys pound out a full length.

Solid Melts


Izanami's Labor Pains – The Life and Demise of Yoshiko Kawashima c21

It's been a while since I've really listened to any noise...Like, the better part of a decade. Having grown bored with noise & power electronics some years ago, it's hard to be objective when reviewing a release like this. Things start off harsh, with a fair share of squeals, shrieks, and electric sounds. Then we get an interesting cut up of noise and Japanese music from the 30s. Rounding things up is another track of harsh, digitally generated sound, this time with some rhythmic elements. I've got to say, this was more enjoyable than I expected. ILP pumping out some respectable stuff here. Too bad this wasn't around when I was still into the scene.

Ear Ear Records


Recrucify – Awakening Of The Satan's Kommand ep

This is pretty much an audio time machine to Brazil's underground metal scene circa 1987. That's cool and all, but why not just go listen to an original like Mutilator instead? Peru's Recrucify are decent enough, but this has been done before and more skillfully. I suspect this is one of those bands that you'll only really get into if you're local or a fiend for the style they play.

Alucard Records


Suburban Howl/Songs about Pandas – Split c40

A rather unimpressive release here. Suburban Howl starts the tape off with a single track that fluctuates between noise and drone. It has it's moments, but based on what else I've heard from the band, I expected better. Songs about Pandas fills up the flip with two tracks, the first being howling electronic noise and the 2nd noise rock, think godheadSilo-lite. I actually really dug that 2nd track from SaP, but not enough to say that this is worth checking out.

Jozik Records


V.A. – no. pt 2 cd-r

The second installation of Workerbee Record's no comp, there's still a good mix of musical styles here, but with a disproportionate amount of experimental acts. Stand outs included You Suck, Mustard Tiger, Apes Fight Back and John Praw. At a measly 5 bucks for both volumes, it's really worth snagging a copy.

Workerbee Records

#6

Deergear/Boyfriends/Hey Hachi/Lost in Bazaar – USA vs Europe c30

I snagged a copy of this split 4 way on a whim. Didn't recognize the bands and I'm not particularly an aficionado of the genres they play, but I liked the idea of one place's bands vs an others. It ended up that my whim paid off, as this is a fairly enjoyable split. First up on the USA side is Deergear, who play post-hardcore that switches back & forth between frenzied and laid back. Meh, not my deal. Boyfriends follow with some stuff that was pretty rad, but hard to put a label on. Mellow post-rock, maybe? My pick for the USA side. Hey Hachi, from England, start off the Europe side with their brand of spacy indie with some math rock undertones. They're really sparse with the vocals on one track, and the other was entirely instrumental, which I liked. My favorite for both the Europe side and the tape. Finally, there's Lost in Bazaar from Turkey, who I was mixed on. The first track is some straight up lame screamo bullshit, but the 2nd track sounded more like powerviolence with experimental breakdowns, which I enjoyed. Overall, I liked the tape, even if it's not the style of stuff I normally listen too.

Eat A Book Records


Stapesaw Zine #1

This is what it's about; a good old paper zine covering the world of powerviolence, noise, grind, experimental, and the like. In this issue there's a handful of detailed album reviews, a couple of interviews with noisemakers, and some literary odds & ends. Especially cool is that Stapesaw taps into a lot of UK acts that many of us in America and other parts might be overlooking. This issue appears to be sold out, but keep an eye in the next month or so for issue #2.

Stapesaw Records!


Switchblade Cheetah – The Mellow Sounds of Switchblade Cheetah c60

How have these dudes been around since 2004 and I'm just now finding out about them? So, this a collection of Switchblade Cheetah's 'softer' songs and they tear ass thru such a diverse mix of sounds that it's unbelievable. I can't wait to get their other albums to hear the harder stuff. I'm not even going to try and peg Switchblade Cheetah's sound, aside from “fucking awesome”. Due to the ridiculously limited nature of this release, you might not be able to snag a copy, but that shouldn't stop you from checking out something else from their discography. FUCKING DO IT.

Workerbee Records


uRAn 0/Astarium – Katuar cd-r

A re-release of a re-release of the original Katuar, there's a plethora of bonus tracks from different periods in each band's existence and it sounds more like a four way split. For the initial three tracks, uRAn 0 plays noisy, electronic, industrial stuff before switching over to black metal with ambient overtones. Astarium follows with a few tracks of orchestral black metal and then concludes the album with a techno-baroque, harsh black metal piece. It's not that the music is shitty or anything, it's just a little confusing to hear both bands suddenly change their style. If you're a connoisseur of more eclectic black metal, you should definitely check this out. If you're taste is elite & kvlt only, pass it up.

Smell The Stench


V.A. - no. pt 1 cdr

You've gotta dig a comp like this, with a little bit of something for everyone. The bands showcased on here cover just about the entire spectrum of underground genres, from weird jazz to fastcore to spacey electronic stuff. My personal favorites included the ambient work of -x, a haunting, bell driven piece by Ira Rat, tech grind from xNERDS÷, and the sax & piano blues/white noise mashup from Velma and the Happy Campers. Like I said, whatever you're into, there will be something here for you; plus their might be some new stuff you'll get into.

Workerbee Records


Wether + Unicorn – Split c62

A single track from each of these bands, Wether kicks off the tape by filling their side with contact mics and electronic sounds. It took me a while to get into them, as they're a little harsher and chaotic than what I usually enjoy, but by the end of their side I'd gained an appreciation for some of their more rhythmic aspects. On the flip is Unicorn and they blew me away. It's a tidal wave of samples, synths, and sounds galore, all layered together forming an impossible and amazing composure. Worth checking out for Unicorn side alone, although Wether's track isn't without it's charms.

905 Tapes

#5

Black Roller Crop Rotation - Music For Cutters c62

These dudes are pumping out some epically dark, gritty stuff here. Mixing ritualistic drone and black metal, Black Roller Crop Rotation is the soundtrack to a dying world. Why don't you have this already?

905 Tapes


KZ9/The Helmut Bernecker Noise Gore Experience – Josef A Go-Go c90

This is just one huge mess. From what I can piece together from the fucked up j-card, KZ9 blast through a couple of sick noisecore tracks before dissolving into lame audio cut ups. It makes me wonder if this is a recycled tape and that last part is from what was on the tape previously. On top of that the insert claims KZ9 have tracks on BOTH the A & B side. THBNGE, or at least what I think might be them, do some completely uninspired vocal-only noisecore, then audio cut ups, then more pointless vocal stuff, then harsh noise, and so on. Fuck this.

Underground Pollution Records


Sea of Shit/Socially Retarded – Split ep

Are we in the 2nd or 3rd wave of powerviolence? Anyhow, Sea Of Shit is my pick for winner on this split, as there's some grind and sludge elements mixed in. Socially Retarded have a by the numbers powerviolence sound, but play it well. If you dig the scene, check it.

Diseased Audio


Sy.nT – Empty cd-r

Slowly, Empty will begin to drift into the background. The industrial drone will provide a mechanized soundtrack to whatever you're doing for about 20 minutes. And, then it happens; loud, abrasive percussion. Suddenly you're aware you'd put music on and were listening to it before you let it fade into atmospheric sound. But then that ambiance flares up and just as you're about to space out again, there are those jarring drums. The next time you listen to Empty, you'll make it a point to give the album your full attention and some questions will arise. Is this album a critique of drone, dark ambient, & soundscape music? Is this just a drone album with some awkwardly placed drums? Are you completely over analyzing this and seeing things that aren't there? Honestly, I don't know, but I sure will be keeping an eye on Sy.nT.

Smell the Stench


The Men From...BEYOND! - The baddest one-chick hit squad that ever rolled into town! c13

Yeah! What we've got here is a sweet one-man garage band by Devin of Felt Cat Records. There's a little bit of a surf influence and a love of 70's exploitation films. Limited to 25, so you best get on it, jive turkey.

Felt Cat Records


Thunder Bunny – This Hateful Thing c62

Thunder Bunny play that style of dreamy, semi-psychedelic pop which is so popular with the kids these days, but with a little lo-fi edge to it. This particular release is actually a combination of two EPs, ...there is a gate and The Other Children of This Quickly Passing Winter which have a noticeable difference in sound. The gate side is far more psychedelic and raw, while the Other Children sound is far more pop oriented. Enjoyable enough if it's what you dig. I certainly liked it well enuff.

Felt Cat Records


Totem Mold Growth – Mountain Dewds c20

Raise the chalice to you lips and drink deeply from it's unholy mixture of Tussionex and Peach flavored Mad Dog. Now, steady your quivering hand and initiate the “play” function on your cassette device, releasing Totem Mold Growth upon the audio spectrum. YES! As the waves of rumbling noise battle against a humming synthesizer, you begin to comprehend the full magnitude of what is taking place. And, this is only the A side; what follows is a glimpse into madness itself. HA HA HA! And in a mere 20 minutes, the ritual is complete...

905 Tapes