Contact at mercilessinsanedeath@gmail.com for pictures of any of the items! All in very good or good condition unless otherwise stated.
SHIRTS (all in size small):
KERASPHORUS - Cloven Hooves at the Holocaust Dawn (NWN! print, double-sided). Sleeves have been liberated. $10
EFFIGY - logo shirt. $10
IRON MAIDEN - 2008 Canadian tour shirt (Eddie in a Canadian hockey jersey) - double sided. $15
PATCHES: EMBROIDERED $2 each
NECROVORE logo
NME logo
EVIL ARMY logo
SACRIFICE (can) logo
MARTIRE - logo (from MLP diehard originally)
SADISTIK EXEKUTION - logo
WOVEN: $2
TANKARD - logo
CLOTH $2
ZOUNDS - war/subvert/can't cheat karma
DOOM - red logo
ANCIENT VVISDOM - logo
ECONOCHRIST - another victim
Saturday, November 3, 2012
Totalitär - Sin Egen Motståndare + Ni måste bort
Totalitär were a hardcore punk band from Sweden. Although their music wasn't quite metal-influenced enough to be considered crust, they're often lumped in with crust bands because of their imagery and lyrical themes. Not to mention they're fucking fantastic! They never really got into doing gigs, but they released a fair bit of music, and definitely left their mark on the punk scene, going on to do splits with legends like Dropdead, Tragedy and Disclose when they got together briefly in the early 2000s.
Seriously, this is one of those bands I never got into when I was in high school because I was already busy listening to a zillion other bands, and just figured they'd be another overhyped hardcore band. DAMN was I wrong! This is what hardcore punk should sound like. Everytime I listen to this band I feel like I'm being assaulted. It's rare (especially by the 90s when this band was making music) that I hear a band where you can actually feel the violence in their music. All the lyrics are in Swedish, but it's easy enough to run that shit through a translator (not that their 7"/LP covers aren't enough to give the themes away).
Anyways, I like this band so much that I'm posting their first two LPs on here. Enjoy!
Seriously, this is one of those bands I never got into when I was in high school because I was already busy listening to a zillion other bands, and just figured they'd be another overhyped hardcore band. DAMN was I wrong! This is what hardcore punk should sound like. Everytime I listen to this band I feel like I'm being assaulted. It's rare (especially by the 90s when this band was making music) that I hear a band where you can actually feel the violence in their music. All the lyrics are in Swedish, but it's easy enough to run that shit through a translator (not that their 7"/LP covers aren't enough to give the themes away).
Anyways, I like this band so much that I'm posting their first two LPs on here. Enjoy!
ARTIST: TOTALITAR
ALBUM: SIN EGEN MOTSTANDARE + NI MASTE BORT
GENRE: HARDCORE PUNK
KICKER - Not You
KICKER is the brainchild of "legendary road dog," Pete the Roadie. After 30 years of being on the road, he got together with members of Neurosis and Dystopia and have been putting out some great old school punk! NOT YOU is the first full-length from the band, which deals with such important issues as how to be punk whilst simultaneously being a crusty old guy. It's actually pretty unique sounding, with Pete's vocals/singing style reminding me of an 80s Anarchopunk record, but the production/music itself reminding me more of classic American punk. Very cool!
Below is the link to the band's Bandcamp page, where you download it in any format. The band has generally made it "name your price" (meaning you can technically get it for free, but I'd personally give the band at least $5 for their efforts), so I've included that instead of a mediafire link. You can also buy it on CD or LP at Tankcrimes Records. Enjoy!
ARTIST: KICKER
Below is the link to the band's Bandcamp page, where you download it in any format. The band has generally made it "name your price" (meaning you can technically get it for free, but I'd personally give the band at least $5 for their efforts), so I've included that instead of a mediafire link. You can also buy it on CD or LP at Tankcrimes Records. Enjoy!
ARTIST: KICKER
ALBUM: NOT YOU
GENRE: OLD SCHOOL PUNK
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Antediluvian / Temple Nightside - Cogitating Vacuous (split 7")
Antediluvian are a black/death metal band from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Temple Nightside are an atmospheric black metal band from somewhere in Australia. Both are fantastic bands, and when I heard they did a split together, I couldn't believe it! Unfortunately it's a very short release, clocking in at 11 minutes with both bands doing one track each. Nonetheless both tracks are great, and it's a great little 7". I can't believe you're still reading this, GO LISTEN ALREADY
ARTIST: ANTEDILUVIAN/TEMPLE NIGHTSIDE
ALBUM: COGITATING VACUOUS (SPLIT 7")
GENRE: BLACK/DEATH METAL
Black Jesus - Black Jesus Saves [Demo]
Black Jesus is an Australian death/thrash metal band, influenced heavily by 80s rock n' roll and cult 80s death metal (think Autopsy, etc.). Although I would predominately file it under 'death metal, there's LOTS of elements of crust in here as well (most audible on tracks like Dead In Their Tracks). Released on Trench Hell's The Coffin Slave record label and recently released on vinyl by Hells Headbangers -- both of which are good signs.
Anyways, it's a nice, catchy slice of aussie metal, and if you're a fan of HHR stuff/Trench Hell, you'll certainly like this. While this MLP isn't anything ground breaking, it's still really good, and I'm looking forward to future releases by these guys!
Anyways, it's a nice, catchy slice of aussie metal, and if you're a fan of HHR stuff/Trench Hell, you'll certainly like this. While this MLP isn't anything ground breaking, it's still really good, and I'm looking forward to future releases by these guys!
ARTIST: BLACK JESUS
ALBUM: BLACK JESUS SAVES DEMO
GENRE: DEATHRASH
Sunday, October 21, 2012
Primordial - The Gathering Wilderness
Primordial are a black/folk metal band from Dublin, Ireland. Though a lot of bands that fall into the folk metal genre can be a bit...silly (to put it mildly), Primordial do a fantastic job of incorporating folk elements into amazing atmospheric black metal. The musicianship with this band is amazing, and you'd be hard-pressed to find another black metal band with clean vocals that are as good as Nemtheanga's.
When it comes to Primordial in their prime, it's extremely hard for me to choose just one to upload on here! I mainly picked The Gathering Wilderness, because it was the first album of theirs I heard as a teenager. If you have time, I'd recommend checking out A Journey's End and Spirit the Earth Aflame as well (which I will maybe upload on here as well sometime).
Enjoy!
When it comes to Primordial in their prime, it's extremely hard for me to choose just one to upload on here! I mainly picked The Gathering Wilderness, because it was the first album of theirs I heard as a teenager. If you have time, I'd recommend checking out A Journey's End and Spirit the Earth Aflame as well (which I will maybe upload on here as well sometime).
Enjoy!
ARTIST: PRIMORDIAL
ALBUM: THE GATHERING WILDERNESS
GENRE: BLACK/FOLK METAL
The Howling Wind - Of Babalon
The Howling Wind are a two-piece black/death metal band that's been heavily influenced by sludge/doom metal. This is one of the best 'droning' black metal releases I've heard in years, reminding me of Under a Funeral Moon-era Darkthrone in many places. The other thing this release reminds me of a bit is quality orthodox black metal (kinda like DsO, Portal, Arkhon Infaustus influenced, though not sounding like it necessarily) that was coming out in the early 2000s -- before bestial black metal became the next big thing. The sludge elements come most into play when one notices that while the songs are atmospheric/repetitive, they're surprisingly free of high-pitched guitar leads, opting for more of a "wall of sound" approach over traditional black metal tremolo.
So if you're into atmospheric, guitar-heavy black metal, this is the release for you.
The video below is a cover of good ol' Hellhammer. Download link to the album is below as well. Enjoy!
So if you're into atmospheric, guitar-heavy black metal, this is the release for you.
The video below is a cover of good ol' Hellhammer. Download link to the album is below as well. Enjoy!
ARTIST: THE HOWLING WIND
ALBUM: OF BABALON
GENRE: BLACK METAL/SLUDGE
Ceremony - ZOO
ZOO is the fourth full-length from modern hardcore punk legends Ceremony, and their first release on Matador records. They've certainly evolved a lot over the years (both image and sound wise), and ZOO continues this trend by blending elements of 78' punk and modern rock. Ceremony once cited their influences as being Pink Floyd, Tom Waits, Joy Division, Suicidal Tendencies: this album showcases the former's influences.
This album is probably the most different sounding Ceremony release to date, a lot of it being because of the production. I honestly thought it was someone other than Ross Farrar on vocals when I first heard 'Citizen,' because the production makes his vocals sound THAT different. However, if you YouTube live performances of songs on this album, it sounds more like their older material. Songwriting-wise, it's similar to Rohnert Park, in that you have some fast stuff, but a lot more slower material on here. I haven't listened to the album too many times through yet, but so far, I'm actually not a big fan of the slower songs on the album. The faster tunes (like the aforementioned Citizen) are fantastic, and worth getting the album (or downloading it) for them alone.
While Rohnert Park perhaps hinted at the band one day returning to the hardcore punk sound they first created on Ruined EP, ZOO cements that they're definitely headed in a new direction. The slower material is a bit of a disappointment to me, but if they continue with the classic punk sounding stuff, their fifth album should be amazing!
This album is probably the most different sounding Ceremony release to date, a lot of it being because of the production. I honestly thought it was someone other than Ross Farrar on vocals when I first heard 'Citizen,' because the production makes his vocals sound THAT different. However, if you YouTube live performances of songs on this album, it sounds more like their older material. Songwriting-wise, it's similar to Rohnert Park, in that you have some fast stuff, but a lot more slower material on here. I haven't listened to the album too many times through yet, but so far, I'm actually not a big fan of the slower songs on the album. The faster tunes (like the aforementioned Citizen) are fantastic, and worth getting the album (or downloading it) for them alone.
While Rohnert Park perhaps hinted at the band one day returning to the hardcore punk sound they first created on Ruined EP, ZOO cements that they're definitely headed in a new direction. The slower material is a bit of a disappointment to me, but if they continue with the classic punk sounding stuff, their fifth album should be amazing!
ARTIST: CEREMONY
ALBUM: ZOO
GENRE: HARDCORE PUNK
Sunday, October 7, 2012
A.N.S. - Pressure Cracks
A.N.S. is a crossover thrash band from Irving, Texas, USA. They've been around for quite a while, going through a line-up, name change and several releases before their 2009 full-length, Pressure Cracks. While it doesn't necessarily oush the limits of punk as a genre, it's a great mix of old-school 80s and crossover thrash metal: think early Black Flag, D.R.I., and Poison Idea.
I think my favorite thing about this release is that it manages to both be catchy and fast, as well as build a chilling atmosphere that you generally only hear on older punk records. The other thing I'm fond of here is that even though it has 2000-era production, it doesn't cheapen the sound of the record/music at all/make it sound incredibly fake. Overall, some great music here! Enjoy.
I think my favorite thing about this release is that it manages to both be catchy and fast, as well as build a chilling atmosphere that you generally only hear on older punk records. The other thing I'm fond of here is that even though it has 2000-era production, it doesn't cheapen the sound of the record/music at all/make it sound incredibly fake. Overall, some great music here! Enjoy.
ARTIST: A.N.S.
ALBUM: PRESSURE CRACKS
GENRE: CROSSOVER THRASH
Friday, October 5, 2012
Plasmatics - Wendy O. Williams (WOW)
WOW is technically a Plasmatics record, but due to some licensing issues, it was released under the name Wendy O. Williams - WOW as a 'separate' release. The Plasmatics started out as more of a punk rock band, but their sound gradually progressed into heavy metal. WOW, despite having a lot of ballads/slower songs, is actually a really solid album. It really shows how the band had progressed at this point: able to make more complex, melodic songs without sacrificing any of the power or aggression Wendy/The Plasmatics were known for.
It's both a blessing and a curse that this band was big in the 80s: it seems like the popularity of punk/metal at the time both helped this band rise to fame, but also meant it was far too easy for (the band) to become lost in a sea of talented metal/punk bands. Aside from having a great front[wo]man, The Plasmatics were a truly talented band, and it's a bit of a shame they never achieved a bigger level of success.
It's both a blessing and a curse that this band was big in the 80s: it seems like the popularity of punk/metal at the time both helped this band rise to fame, but also meant it was far too easy for (the band) to become lost in a sea of talented metal/punk bands. Aside from having a great front[wo]man, The Plasmatics were a truly talented band, and it's a bit of a shame they never achieved a bigger level of success.
ARTIST: WENDY O. WILLIAMS/THE PLASMATICS
ALBUM: WOW
GENRE: HEAVY METAL
Blood Ceremony - Living With The Ancients
Blood Ceremony are a doom metal band from Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They play good ol' doom in the vein of Sabbath, and with a wide array of instruments/musically talented members, they're a great addition to Canada's growing metal scene. Their first self-titled record focuses more on the band's diversity (that comes with having an incredibly talented female vocalist who puts her keyboard and flute skills to good work here), and there's a lot of odd tempo-ed songs on this album. Ultimately, it feels like a bit more of an experimental record, where the band is waffling on whether to be a traditional doom sounding band, or something a bit more ecletic.
Having said that, their next album, Living With The Ancients, is more of a return to classic doom metal. Even though people seem to like this album less, I feel like the band has greatly improved: the band has found where it wants to be with it's music, and the songs generally feel less repetitive/sporadic than they did on their previous album. And the music talent/atmosphere is no less pronounced here: if anything, it's amplified by the cohesiveness of the songwriting here.
In short: traditional sounding doom metal with female vocals and flute solos. Good. Both albums are excellent and worth listening to, so really it's up to what you prefer with your music.
Having said that, their next album, Living With The Ancients, is more of a return to classic doom metal. Even though people seem to like this album less, I feel like the band has greatly improved: the band has found where it wants to be with it's music, and the songs generally feel less repetitive/sporadic than they did on their previous album. And the music talent/atmosphere is no less pronounced here: if anything, it's amplified by the cohesiveness of the songwriting here.
In short: traditional sounding doom metal with female vocals and flute solos. Good. Both albums are excellent and worth listening to, so really it's up to what you prefer with your music.
ARTIST: BLOOD CEREMONY
ALBUM: LIVING WITH THE ANCIENTS
GENRE: DOOM METAL
Sunday, September 16, 2012
Revenge - Scum.Collapse.Eradication
Revenge are a war metal band, hailing from Edmonton, AB, Canada. If you're familiar with war metal, you'll know that it's extremely "love-it-or-hate-it" kinda stuff. If you're not, it's a small sub-genre of black metal that's characterized by even noiser/rawer guitars, blastbeats, and inhuman gurgling/screaming. Take a wild fucking guess as to what the lyrical themes are.
Anyways, if you're not a fan of Revenge, this album certainly isn't going to change your opinion on them. However, if you are -- or if you're on the fence about them -- S.C.E is worth checking out. One thing I really admire about this band is that every time they release a new album, they manage to retain their core sound while still bringing something new to the mix. It definitely retains the take-no-prisoners Revenge approach to the music, but there's a lot more song structure and musicianship on display here than previous releases. There's copies of this still available at HHR and NWN! on digital and analog formats, so grab one while you can!
Anyways, if you're not a fan of Revenge, this album certainly isn't going to change your opinion on them. However, if you are -- or if you're on the fence about them -- S.C.E is worth checking out. One thing I really admire about this band is that every time they release a new album, they manage to retain their core sound while still bringing something new to the mix. It definitely retains the take-no-prisoners Revenge approach to the music, but there's a lot more song structure and musicianship on display here than previous releases. There's copies of this still available at HHR and NWN! on digital and analog formats, so grab one while you can!
ARTIST: REVENGE
ALBUM: SCUM.COLLAPSE.ERADICATION
GENRE: WAR METAL
10 SWORDS DISTRO UPDATE
PATCHES AVAILABLE (embroidered, $2 each unless otherwise specified):
- Evil Army (logo)
- Necrovore (logo)
- Sadistik Exekution (logo)
- Tankard (logo)
CLOTHING:
- Order From Chaos (Stillbirth Machine NWN! long-sleeve. SIZE MEDIUM) $20
- Ghost (A Clockwork Orange knockoff SIZE SMALL) $15
- Evil Army (logo)
- Necrovore (logo)
- Sadistik Exekution (logo)
- Tankard (logo)
CLOTHING:
- Order From Chaos (Stillbirth Machine NWN! long-sleeve. SIZE MEDIUM) $20
- Ghost (A Clockwork Orange knockoff SIZE SMALL) $15
Saturday, September 15, 2012
Genocide Shrines - Devanation Monumentemples MCD
Genocide Shrines are a bestial black/death metal band from Sri Lanka. Although these guys have been making unholy music for a while in various other bands, Devanation is their first release, and it's cult as hell. Their music ends up sounding like a cross between Black Witchery and Coffins. It's also pretty cool to hear sacrilegious music that isn't exclusively directed at Judeo-Christian religions. You're best off buying the CD straight from Vault of Dried Bones (where it's going for a mere $9 CAD), or heading over to Iron Bonehead Productions to get the analog version. Enjoy!
ARTIST: GENOCIDE SHRINES
ALBUM: DEVANATION MONUMENTEMPLES MCD
GENRE: BLACK/DEATH METAL
Gorgoroth - Pentagram
Although Gorgoroth's music (and band politics, for that matter) these days are...questionable, to say the least, back in the early 90s, they produced some damn good music. It's easy for a lot of people (particularly newcomers to the scene) to overlook a lot of the relatively 'famous' black metal bands, and forget that they too once produced quality black metal. Pentagram is Gorgoroth's first full-length. It's got a pretty standard Norwegian black metal sound to it, but the song writing is really well done and it never feels generic. It's a short album at only a mere thirty minutes, but when you've got music that's as repetitive sounding (as, admittedly, a lot of Norway's black metal from that time period was), it works in the band's favor.
ARTIST: GORGOROTH
ALBUM: PENTAGRAM
GENRE: BLACK METAL
Friday, August 31, 2012
Forbidden - Forbidden Evil
Forbidden Evil is the debut album from thrash metal band Forbidden. Although their music became increasingly progressive as their musical career went on, this album is pretty straight-80s thrash. There's definitely elements of progressive metal found here, but they're left relatively unexplored.
Forbidden are a relatively forgotten band -- which is too bad, because Forbidden Evil and Twisted into Form are both very strong albums. The musicianship is great, and there's a lot of passion behind the music here. Then again, I'm a bit biased, as this was one of the first thrash metal albums that me and my group of friends at the time ever got into. Decide for yourself with the download link below! Enjoy!
Forbidden are a relatively forgotten band -- which is too bad, because Forbidden Evil and Twisted into Form are both very strong albums. The musicianship is great, and there's a lot of passion behind the music here. Then again, I'm a bit biased, as this was one of the first thrash metal albums that me and my group of friends at the time ever got into. Decide for yourself with the download link below! Enjoy!
ARTIST: FORBBIDEN
ALBUM: FORBIDDEN EVIL
GENRE: THRASH METAL
Monday, August 27, 2012
Back from digital Hell / Oniku - Bokujou
My computer died, taking my entire music collection with it. But luckily I'm back up and running now, so the music will keep flowing...
Oniku is a one-man goregrind project from Japan. He does uses a drum machine, but it actually sounds great here and to be perfectly honest, Oniku is one of my favorite new goregrind bands! It's not anything genre-defining, just some awesome goregrind. Everything sounds awesome, and everytime I see a new release by them I'm fucking excited as hell! You can find the rest of the Oniku discography on my friend's blog here. I've also included the link to the Oniku SoundCloud below.
ARTIST: ONIKU
Oniku is a one-man goregrind project from Japan. He does uses a drum machine, but it actually sounds great here and to be perfectly honest, Oniku is one of my favorite new goregrind bands! It's not anything genre-defining, just some awesome goregrind. Everything sounds awesome, and everytime I see a new release by them I'm fucking excited as hell! You can find the rest of the Oniku discography on my friend's blog here. I've also included the link to the Oniku SoundCloud below.
ARTIST: ONIKU
ALBUM: BOKUJOU
GENRE: GOREGRIND
Monday, August 13, 2012
Axeman - Arrive (Demo 2010)
Axeman is one of the newer bands on the Black Twilight Circle line-up. Although this demo has been out since 2010, it's only recently been released on vinyl. Up until recently, the only band I'd heard of on the Black Twilight line-up was Volahn -- but that was years ago. Basically BTC play orthodox black metal with LLN style production/mythos attached to it (though in my opinion, the quality and style of each band is pretty variable).
From what I've heard thus far, the BTC stuff is pretty hit and miss for me, although I do enjoy this demo quite a bit. . Basically Arrive sounds like a cross between Arise! era Amebix and Morbid Tales era Celtic Frost with LLN production slapped over top of it. This is one of the few releases I would recommend buying on vinyl/finding a vinyl rip of, because you want all the sound quality you can get on it. Some of the songs are a bit lengthy for what they are, but overall it's a solid piece of crust-influenced black metal.
This release has been blogged about to death lately, and there's not much more to say about it, other than you can buy it on black vinyl at the Crepusculo Negro webstore (link below). Enjoy!
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Blasphemy - Blood Upon the Altar (Demo 1989)
Blood Upon the Altar is the very first release from one of the most highly regarded black metal bands to ever come out of Canada -- if not the entirety of North America! The precursor to war metal and bestial [black/death] metal, Blasphemy play raw, fast black metal that also happens to have amazing atmosphere. Their full-length album, Fallen Angel of Doom usually receives the most attention, but BUtA is not to be ignored. Compared to FAOD, it's much less atmospheric and focused on speed, aggression and power. It's also the birthplace of the most heavily covered black metal songs (next to VON or possibly Bathory, I can't think of a track more covered than "Ritual") of all time.
It's a short release (as many demos are), clocking in at a mere 20 minutes, but it's a great introduction to Blasphemy and bestial metal if you haven't heard it yet.
It's a short release (as many demos are), clocking in at a mere 20 minutes, but it's a great introduction to Blasphemy and bestial metal if you haven't heard it yet.
ARTIST: BLASPHEMY
ALBUM: BLOOD UPON THE ALTAR (DEMO 1989)
GENRE: BLACK METAL
Nuclear Desecration - Desecrated Temple of Impurity
So around the time this album came out, metal was up to it's eardrums in bestial metal. Things seem to be slowly refocusing to a more "traditionally satanic" style, but there's still a LOT of bestial metal coming out -- a lot of it not particularly memorable or good. For those that may not know, the term 'bestial' is usually used to describe black or death metal that's considerably rawer than the traditional style -- less technique, more speed, noise and distortion. Lyrical themes also tend to be focused on satanism, goats, the impending nuklear holocaust, or all three. Moving on though...
Despite coming out during an influx bestial metal, Nuclear Desecration's full-length album is quite fantastic. It's a really good, solid example of what quality bestial black metal should sound like. Even though it's technically generic in the sense that it fits exactly what bestial black metal is supposed to sound like to a T, it ends up being more of a benchmark album than anything else.. You've got everything: goats, gasmasks, impending nuklear destruction, noize, satan, BLACK FUCKING METAL!
It's unfortunate that they were only around a couple of years, because they'd probably be right up there with bands like Blasphemophagher and Proclamation in terms of notoriety if they continued to produce material as good as this. Ah well. Enjoy!
Despite coming out during an influx bestial metal, Nuclear Desecration's full-length album is quite fantastic. It's a really good, solid example of what quality bestial black metal should sound like. Even though it's technically generic in the sense that it fits exactly what bestial black metal is supposed to sound like to a T, it ends up being more of a benchmark album than anything else.. You've got everything: goats, gasmasks, impending nuklear destruction, noize, satan, BLACK FUCKING METAL!
It's unfortunate that they were only around a couple of years, because they'd probably be right up there with bands like Blasphemophagher and Proclamation in terms of notoriety if they continued to produce material as good as this. Ah well. Enjoy!
ARTIST: NUCLEAR DESECRATION
ALBUM: DESECRATED TEMPLE OF IMPURITY
GENRE: BESTIAL BLACK/DEATH METAL
Baxaxaxa - Hellfire (Demo 1992)
Baxaxaxa was an extremely short-lived (like a year or two) side-project from members of Ungod. They play raw black metal, and while it isn't necessarily in the same vein as LLN material, it definitely bares some similarities. It's a little more focused on riffs/speed and a little less on atmosphere than this style of black metal normally would be. Both Ungod and Baxaxaxa play some really solid straight up black metal, and I'll probably get around to posting the Ungod full-length shortly. Enjoy!
ARTIST: BAXAXAXA
ALBUM: HELLFIRE (DEMO 1992)
GENRE: BLACK METAL
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Violent Force - Malevolent Assault of Tomorrow
Violent Force were a German thrash metal band. They released a handful of demos, with their work culminating in the 1987 full-length, Malevolent Assault of Tomorrow. If you've heard German thrash metal before, you have a good idea of what to expect: fast as hell, harsh vokills, total beer soaked madness! And if you don't...well, you're in for a treat! In terms of representing "the best of German thrash," I wouldn't put Violent Force at the top of the list, but they'd definitely be mentioned.
Similar to a lot of late 80s thrash metal (at least when you start listening to boatloads of it like me), it's the type of album that sounds generic if you're not really paying attention to what's going on, and requires a bit more "active listening." There's actually some really talented musicianship and songwriting going on here, it's just unfortunate that this type of music was INCREDIBLY popular/over done at this time period, so it was easy to get left in the dust (kind of like bestial metal nowadays, *cough* *cough*).
Anyways, metal-archives says they're active again, so maybe we'll hear from them again soon. The mediafire link for this album is below. Enjoy!
Similar to a lot of late 80s thrash metal (at least when you start listening to boatloads of it like me), it's the type of album that sounds generic if you're not really paying attention to what's going on, and requires a bit more "active listening." There's actually some really talented musicianship and songwriting going on here, it's just unfortunate that this type of music was INCREDIBLY popular/over done at this time period, so it was easy to get left in the dust (kind of like bestial metal nowadays, *cough* *cough*).
Anyways, metal-archives says they're active again, so maybe we'll hear from them again soon. The mediafire link for this album is below. Enjoy!
ARTIST: VIOLENT FORCE
ALBUM: MALEVOLENT ASSAULT OF TOMORROW
GENRE: THRASH METAL
Master - S/T (1990)
Master are an American death metal band (though they've relocated to the Czech Republic) that don't get nearly the credit they deserve. Despite sounding more like something that would've come out in the late 1980s, their 1990 self-titled album is an awesome piece of fast, thrashing death metal. I've heard there's some really interesting history to this band, but unfortunately I'm not the person to educate the masses on it.
Really, if you're a fan of old-school American or thrash (reminds me of Darkness Descends-era Dark Angel or Altars of Madness-era Morbid Angel), I imagine you'll be into this. Enjoy!
Really, if you're a fan of old-school American or thrash (reminds me of Darkness Descends-era Dark Angel or Altars of Madness-era Morbid Angel), I imagine you'll be into this. Enjoy!
ARTIST: MASTER
ALBUM: S/T 1990
GENRE: DEATH METAL
Radioactive Vomit - Witchblood (Demo 2012)
Radioactive Vomit is a black metal band from Vancouver, BC, Canada. There's not a whole lot to say about these guys other than they play a wicked blend of noisy black metal with d-beat influences, and Witchblood is their second demo tape. It's really wicked, and I hope to hear an EP or full-length from these guys soon! Original tape rip by VONFROST, whose blog you can find here.
ARTIST: RADIOACTIVE VOMIT
ALBUM: WITCHBLOOD (DEMO 2012)
GENRE: BLACK METAL
Friday, July 13, 2012
Gospel of the Horns - The Satanist's Dream (Demo 1994)
The Satanist's Dream is the very first release by Aussie black/thrashers Gospel of the Horns. guess the original label that put this band out completely stabbed the band in the back by releasing a a shoddy product, completely with a picture of an entirely different band on the label. I'm not sure if the band even received any money for it, as the band has asked fans not to buy that particular edition of the demo. Fortunately for metalheads, Kneel Before the Master's Throne records gave it the "diehard" vinyl treatment in 2009. I believe they're sold out of the release, but you might be able to snag it in a trade or get it on ebay or some shit if you /really/ want it.
But moving on! This demo is some great Celtic Frost/Hellhammer worship. It sounds great for a demo, and while it doesn't give you that much of an idea of the band's sound to come, it's nonetheless a ton of fun to listen to. Even though it's a very "simple" sounding album in terms of composition, it's well-played and apparent that the musicians are all proficient at their various instruments. This demo showcases the black metal side of the band more than later releases, and comes highly recommended from myself. A great demo from a great band. Enjoy!
But moving on! This demo is some great Celtic Frost/Hellhammer worship. It sounds great for a demo, and while it doesn't give you that much of an idea of the band's sound to come, it's nonetheless a ton of fun to listen to. Even though it's a very "simple" sounding album in terms of composition, it's well-played and apparent that the musicians are all proficient at their various instruments. This demo showcases the black metal side of the band more than later releases, and comes highly recommended from myself. A great demo from a great band. Enjoy!
ARTIST: GOSPEL OF THE HORNS
ALBUM: THE SATANIST'S DREAM (DEMO 1994)
GENRE: BLACK/THRASH METAL
Grenade - The Howling Damned
Grenade were a black/thrash metal band from Sydney, NSW, Australia. They never got as far as a lot other bands in the Australian scene, but they're still well regarded among those who remember them. Probably the most forgettable part of their material is the vocals to be honest -- they're not bad, but they tend to fade into the guitars (which, luckily for them, are really good!) If you enjoy black/thrash metal, you'll definitely like this album. However, if you're not already, this probably won't be the album to make or break the bank. It certainly SOUNDS like Aussie black/thrash, and I wouldn't go as far to say that Grenade are mediocre -- just don't expect anything particularly groundbreaking here.
The Howling Damned is not actually a full-length, but a compilation of all their previous material. Some of the members have gone on to perform in the black/thrash project Innsmouth, whom I'm sure I will post about here soon, because they're also fantastic!
The Howling Damned is not actually a full-length, but a compilation of all their previous material. Some of the members have gone on to perform in the black/thrash project Innsmouth, whom I'm sure I will post about here soon, because they're also fantastic!
ARTIST: GRENADE
ALBUM: THE HOWLING DAMNED
GENRE: BLACK/THRASH METAL
Sunday, July 8, 2012
Gospel of the Horns - Realm of the Damned
Gospel of the Horns are one of the best black/thrash bands, ever. Hailing from Australia, they've been putting out amazing metal since the release of their 1994 demo, The Satanist's Dream. They produced two full-length albums before disbanding around 2008-2009 (though they've recently gotten back together): A Call to Arms and Realm of the Damned. They're both magnificient albums, but I've always found RotD to be the stronger album.
Everything about it just works. The production, the riffs, the musicianship....it's just a great metal album, and probably one of the strongest albums to come out the Australian metal scene -- which is saying A LOT, when you factor how strong the black/thrash/death scene is down there. If you're a fan of any of the Australian metal bands -- Destroyer 666, Sadistik Exekution, Vomitor etc. and you haven't heard this album yet, GET ON THAT SHIT!!!
Gospel of the Horns were defunct for a while, but they've recently reunited to play gigs and release some new music -- their new EP, Ceremonial Conjuration, came out in June on Invictus Productions.
Everything about it just works. The production, the riffs, the musicianship....it's just a great metal album, and probably one of the strongest albums to come out the Australian metal scene -- which is saying A LOT, when you factor how strong the black/thrash/death scene is down there. If you're a fan of any of the Australian metal bands -- Destroyer 666, Sadistik Exekution, Vomitor etc. and you haven't heard this album yet, GET ON THAT SHIT!!!
Gospel of the Horns were defunct for a while, but they've recently reunited to play gigs and release some new music -- their new EP, Ceremonial Conjuration, came out in June on Invictus Productions.
ARTIST: GOSPEL OF THE HORNS
ALBUM: REALM OF THE DAMNED
GENRE: BLACK/THRASH METAL
Hail Spirit Noir - Pneuma
Their first and only release, Hail Spirit Noir is an incredibly strange album. It combines the Greek black metal sound (think Rotting Christ and Necromantia in terms of "higher" guitars, etc) with unconventional song structures and keyboard parts that sound more like they belong in a doom metal album than here. Strangely enough though, it all works. It's an incredibly haunting and atmospheric album, and I wouldn't recommend it to black metal fans unless you're up for something strange. There's not a whole lot to say about this album other than that: I've included a YouTube video below which captures the band's sound/imagery quite well. Enjoy!
ARTIST: HAIL SPIRIT NOIR
ALBUM: PNEUMA
GENRE: AVANT-GARDE/BLACK METAL
Toxic Holocaust - Critical Mass (Demo 2002)
Although Toxic Holocaust's sound has changed pretty dramatically since their signing to Relapse Records/Release of Conjuration, TH plays a mix of black/thrash metal. TH was originally a one-man project until An Overdose Of Death... in 2008, and Joel Grind would simply recruit musicians to allow him to go on tour/do live gigs. Inspired by the 'old masters' like Onslaught, Bathory and Slayer, Toxic Holocaust -- while nothing spectacular -- up until Hell On Earth is some awesome, catchy, black/thrash metal.
Critical Mass is the second Toxic Holocaust demo, and contains many of the songs that would go to be on Evil Never Dies. The songs that didn't make it to END tend to be extremely short and fast punk songs, and they work quite well. It's interesting to hear samples of the crust-punk direction that Toxic Holocaust could've taken -- not to mention they're decent tunes. The sound quality is actually quite decent here, and it's probably one of the best TH recordings out there.
ARTIST: TOXIC HOLOCAUST
ALBUM: CRITICAL MASS (DEMO 2002)
GENRE: BLACK/THRASH METAL
Friday, July 6, 2012
Hirilorn - Legends of Evil and Eternal Death
I feel like a lot of people seek out this band hoping to hear some really raw/kvlt DsO material. In reality, Hirilorn are a very different band thematically and musically -- not sharing much with DsO other than the same members and subgenre of metal. Hirilorn is the name of a tree used as a prison in Lord of the Rings -- that fact alone sets the tone for the type of music Hirilorn play. Their sole LP, Legends of Evil and Eternal Death contains only 5 songs, but each of them clocks in at over 10 minutes long. However, don't let this steer you away! It contains some fantastic black metal that's heavily saturated in the 1990s European BM sound prevailing of the time, in addition to some fantastic musicianship. While it's heavily atmospheric in the same way that DsO are, it's much more technically melodic (I find DsO's atmosphere to be much more "chaotic" in contrast).
If you're a fan of the 1990s-era European black metal bands (i.e. Darkthrone, Mayhem etc.), I imagine you'll like this. If you're a big DsO fan, approach this with an open mind and you may find yourself pleasantly surprised.
ARTIST: HIRILORN
ALBUM: LEGENDS OF EVIL AND ETERNAL DEATH
GENRE: BLACK METAL
Sodom - Persecution Mania
Persecution Mania is the second album by German black/thrash legends Sodom. For those who don't know them, Sodom have been cranking out awesome black/thrash music
since the 1980s, and are considered one of the founders of the
black/thrash genre. If you're on this blog, you probably know that Sodom certainly live up to their name (and likely already have this album on your computer). But, I only realized last night that this was one of the albums that I never bothered to put back on my laptop after it crashed a couple of years back, and man am I glad I did!
Although In The Sign of Evil is extremely raw and catchy, I really don't care for Obssessed By Cruelty. I've heard that the European press is better than the North American version, but despite multiple listens, I just can't stand it. It's not that they're bad musicians on that album, it's more so that they play together really poorly: it sounds more like a first jam session/first take for the album than a finished product. Persecution Mania does NOT have this problem whatsoever: the musicianship is awesome, the timing is awesome, the production is awesome, the lyrical themes are awesome...it's dark enough for black metal fans, fast enough for thrash metal fans...hell, even if you don't like black/thrash metal as a genre, you'll probably still enjoy this if you're into exclusively thrash or black metal. Definitely essential listening, and comes highly recommended. Enjoy!
Although In The Sign of Evil is extremely raw and catchy, I really don't care for Obssessed By Cruelty. I've heard that the European press is better than the North American version, but despite multiple listens, I just can't stand it. It's not that they're bad musicians on that album, it's more so that they play together really poorly: it sounds more like a first jam session/first take for the album than a finished product. Persecution Mania does NOT have this problem whatsoever: the musicianship is awesome, the timing is awesome, the production is awesome, the lyrical themes are awesome...it's dark enough for black metal fans, fast enough for thrash metal fans...hell, even if you don't like black/thrash metal as a genre, you'll probably still enjoy this if you're into exclusively thrash or black metal. Definitely essential listening, and comes highly recommended. Enjoy!
ARTIST: SODOM
ALBUM: PERSECUTION MANIA
GENRE: BLACK/THRASH METAL
Sunday, July 1, 2012
Dysmenorrheic Hemorrhage - A Tapeology of Grevious Tramuas 1999 - 2006
Dysmenorrheic Hemorrhage were a one man crustgore band -- essentially sounding like classic crust (i.e. Extreme Noise Terror-type stuff) with pitchshifted vocals. If you like goregrind or crust, you're in for a real treat as DH bring you the best of both worlds. The drums are programmed, which kinda bums me out for crust, but surprisingly it's overall not that noticeable -- minus a track here and there with a drum intro. Not a whole lot else to say about this other than this release contains their entire discography (obviously), and it's pretty substantial, clocking in around 70+ tracks long. You can read an interesting interview with Kyle of DH at The Noise Corner here.
ARTIST: DYSMENORRHEIC HEMORRHAGE
ALBUM: A TAPEOLOGY OF GREVIOUS TRAUMAS 1999 - 2006
GENRE: CRUSTGORE/GOREGRIND
Proxy - Demo 2012
Rising from the ashes of Inepsy, Proxy is an up and coming crust n' roll act from Montreal. Unlike Inepsy which leaned towards the heavy metal side of things (particularly on later releases), Proxy are much more "traditional punk" sounding. Due to the lineup and over similarity in lyrical themes, if you liked Inepsy, you'll probably like Proxy. And if you didn't like Inepsy, you should still give this demo a shot -- a lot of the old school 80s punk influences shine through here and it's worth a listen! Cheers.
P.S: Not sure if this applies to the Proxy demo, but you can order the Truncheons demo here!
P.S: Not sure if this applies to the Proxy demo, but you can order the Truncheons demo here!
ARTIST: PROXY
ALBUM: DEMO 2012
GENRE: CRUST 'N ROLL/UK82
Friday, June 29, 2012
Flagitious Idiosyncrasy in the Dilapidation - S/T (2008)
Flagitious Idiosyncrasy in the Dilapidation were brought to my attention via their split through Insect Warfare that was featured in Short Fast & Loud #19. Similar to Insect Warfare, FLitD play a blend of grindcore and death metal. Only they're cute 'lil asian chicks (although I think they have a male band member now? or something), which makes it a million times better -- especially when you consider how fucking immaculate some of those death metal grunts are! It's shame they haven't put out more material other than an EP (which I haven't heard yet) after this, because their S/T is a promising release. They DO have a Facebook page however, which is a promising sign that these girls are still active and may very well put out some more killer grindcore someday!
Overall, this album may not be particularly groundbreaking, but it's a lot of fun to listen to: even just for the fact that these girls blow 95% male-fronted deathgrind bands completely out of the water.
Overall, this album may not be particularly groundbreaking, but it's a lot of fun to listen to: even just for the fact that these girls blow 95% male-fronted deathgrind bands completely out of the water.
ARTIST: FLAGITIOUS IDIOSYNCRASY IN THE DILAPIDATION
ALBUM: S/T
GENRE: GRINDCORE, DEATHGRIND
Bestial Summoning - The Dark War Has Begun
Bestial Summoning existed during the 1990s in the Netherlands, and boy, did they put out some fantastic black metal. I LOVE the vocals on this album, and for something that was probably
recorded in someone's basement, the sound levels of the different
instruments are quite well done. Unlike your Darkthrone or Mayhem which tended to be more atmosphere focused, Bestial Summoning are all ice-cold hatred and aggression. There's some tracks, like Unholy Prison, that area bit more "traditional" in terms of pacing, but they tend to be the weaker songs on the album. The downside to the "ARGHFUCKKILLSATAAANN" approach is that there's not a whole lot of room for variation, and the much of the album blurs together. Now for someone people, that may not be a downside at all -- just be forewarned that this album is not particularly sensitive to atmosphere.
The Dark War Has Begun is a super raw, super fast, supremely evil-sounding record and is highly recommended for any fan of raw black metal. If you're into modern war metal acts like Conqueror and Revenge, you'll probably enjoy this.
The Dark War Has Begun is a super raw, super fast, supremely evil-sounding record and is highly recommended for any fan of raw black metal. If you're into modern war metal acts like Conqueror and Revenge, you'll probably enjoy this.
ARTIST: BESTIAL SUMMONING
ALBUM: THE DARK WAR HAS BEGUN
GENRE: BLACK METAL
Coffins - March of Despair EP
Coffins were one of my favorite bands growing up, and probably the reason why I really started getting into death metal (and doom metal as well, though I didn't really get into that as much until recently). I'm a bit dissapointed in myself for being late on hearing this EP, but it certainly delivered! If you don't know who Coffins are, they play a blend of death/doom metal that's heavy influenced by gore and old-school metal (i.e. Venom, Death).
March of Despair is Coffins first solo music release (not counting the plethora of splits they've been doing in recent years) since Buried Death in 2008. Continuing on the 'faster' sound that was apparent in Buried Death -- in comparison to previous releases -- March of Despair is much more aggressive sounding and showcases the band's death metal and sludges influences. This isn't to say that it lacks the heaviness and atmosphere that Coffins are known for -- it definitely sounds like death/doom. But it indicates that the next LP will be headed in a much thrashier direction, which is fine by me!
March of Despair is Coffins first solo music release (not counting the plethora of splits they've been doing in recent years) since Buried Death in 2008. Continuing on the 'faster' sound that was apparent in Buried Death -- in comparison to previous releases -- March of Despair is much more aggressive sounding and showcases the band's death metal and sludges influences. This isn't to say that it lacks the heaviness and atmosphere that Coffins are known for -- it definitely sounds like death/doom. But it indicates that the next LP will be headed in a much thrashier direction, which is fine by me!
ARTIST: COFFINS
ALBUM: MARCH OF DESPAIR EP
GENRE: DEATH/DOOM METAL
Nocturnal Graves/Hell Spirit - The Grave Spirit Sessions (split LP)
Put out by NWN! productions in 2010, this split LP features some great black/thrash material from Aussie metal masters Nocturnal Graves and the obscure Hell Spirit from Finland. The Nocturnal Graves side, while having some great material on it, feels a bit all over the place -- the first track sounds more stereotypically "death metal," the Bathory-worship track after it sounds like pre-Relapse Toxic Holocaust (keeping in mind that J. was at one point a live Toxic Holocaust member). This would be the last Nocturnal Graves release before J. decided to call it quits and move onto greater things, and the inconsistency of the material for this split now seems like a clear warning sign of what was to come.
In contrast, the Hell Spirit side is much more consistent -- and because of that, comes off as the stronger side of the LP. I don't know much about Hell Spirit other than they're a Finnish black/thrash act who've released two demos besides this split. Nothing since then, and this split came out in 2010, so not sure what to make of them.
Bottom line being, while it's a bit of an odd split, it's still really good and worth listening to!
In contrast, the Hell Spirit side is much more consistent -- and because of that, comes off as the stronger side of the LP. I don't know much about Hell Spirit other than they're a Finnish black/thrash act who've released two demos besides this split. Nothing since then, and this split came out in 2010, so not sure what to make of them.
Bottom line being, while it's a bit of an odd split, it's still really good and worth listening to!
ARTIST: NOCTURNAL GRAVES and HELL SPIRIT
ALBUM: THE GRAVE SPIRIT SESSIONS
GENRE: BESTIAL BLACK/THRASH METAL
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Rupture - Corrupture
Rupture were an Australian grindcore band active from the late 1980s until the death of their vocalist in 2001. They did releases with awesome bands like Dropdead and Antiseen, in addition to putting out some wicked grindcore. Corrupture sounds a lot like early American hardcore -- only faster and even more pissed off! Basically if you're a fan of stuff like early D.R.I., you'll really be into this. I wish I knew more about the band but I'm only just getting into them myself, so I don't have too much to say. I really liked this album and I'll be looking forward to checking out the rest of their discography!
ARTIST: RUPTURE
ALBUM: CORRUPTURE
GENRE: GRINDCORE
Rites Of Thy Degringolade - An Ode to Sin
RoTD are a Canadian black/death metal act from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Although this one-man project was relatively short lived, Rites put out some amazing (yet incredibly underrated) metal in the early 2000s. Paulus Kressman is an incredible drummer, and it definitely shows on all of his works. He's moved on to drum for Weapon, which have been steadily touring across North America the last couple of years.
An Ode To Sin is the last Rites album before the band "split-up". I'm generally not a fan of clean-sounding production when it comes to black metal, but Rites pull it off, really well: possibly the best I've ever heard. It's a fast album, but every note is crisp and audible, thanks to some very talented musicianship. It's not Blasphemy or Order From Chaos, but it's still some damn good western metal.
An Ode To Sin is the last Rites album before the band "split-up". I'm generally not a fan of clean-sounding production when it comes to black metal, but Rites pull it off, really well: possibly the best I've ever heard. It's a fast album, but every note is crisp and audible, thanks to some very talented musicianship. It's not Blasphemy or Order From Chaos, but it's still some damn good western metal.
ARTIST: RITES OF THY DEGRINGOLADE
ALBUM: AN ODE TO SIN
GENRE: BLACK/DEATH METAL
Monday, June 25, 2012
Hiatus/Reach A Mental Road - Severe Existence/Soulforce
I'm not a huge fan of posting 7"s/splits, unless the material on it is strong -- so is the case with Hiatus/Reach A Mental Road. Hiatus are a crust band that borrow some death metal elements (particularly apparent in the vocals) to create some awesome punk. Reach A Mental Road were an obscure punk band from Japan, and as far as I can tell, other than a track on a compilation album, this was their only release. They sound phenomenal on here though, and it's a damn shame they never put out more material. Any information on the future whereabouts of the band members would be much appreciated!
ARTIST: HIATUS + REACH A MENTAL ROAD
ALBUM: SPLIT 7"
GENRE: CRUST
WARSORE - Violent Swing "Official Discography" now available through BLASTASFUK
A little while ago I posted a bunch of WARSORE stuff, with the intent of posting their entire discography one day. I still intend to do that, but apparently this Australian record label has just released their entire discography on a 2xCD set. If you're into grindcore + music collecting, you HAVE to get this! Link to the distro is below.
Sunday, June 24, 2012
Manilla Road - Crystal Logic + Open The Gates
Manilla Road are one of the best heavy metal bands, period. Everything heavy metal should be -- amazing guitar, epic vocals/lyrical themes, solid drumming/bass -- this band has. They're one of those bands that is able to completely encompass the genre they're in. It's a far cry from the black metal/crust stuff I've been posting lately, and if you're not a fan of "classic" metal, steer clear of this. However, if you're even someone who can casually enjoy an Iron Maiden album, you need to hear this. I really don't know how else to describe them other than that they released some of the BEST heavy metal/NWOBHM of the 1980s, and if you haven't heard it yet, you're missing out! They have a ton of great material, but these two albums are some of the best known -- and the best sounding, if ya ask me.
ARTIST: MANILLA ROAD
GENRE: HEAVY METAL
CRYSTAL LOGIC
OPEN THE GATES
UPDATE 06/26/12: Both links are dead due to copyright infringement. You can purchase both albums through the official Manilla Road store here, or find them elsewhere on the internetz.
UPDATE 06/26/12: Both links are dead due to copyright infringement. You can purchase both albums through the official Manilla Road store here, or find them elsewhere on the internetz.
Friday, June 22, 2012
Chemical Tomb - promo 2012
Chemical Tomb describe their music as "noise induced mass suicide," which in all honesty is a fairly accurate description. Hailing from Plymouth, UK, these guys play a blend of crustgrind, with some death metal elements thrown in their for good measure. Despite their limited discography, they've already played gigs with bands like WORMROT, and have an upcoming gig with KILL THE CLIENT in October! Expect good things from these guys in times to come! You can download their album for free (or include a small donation) at their bandcamp website below.
ARTIST: CHEMICAL TOMB
ALBUM: PROMO 2012
GENRE: CRUSTGRIND
ZOM - Demo (2011)
The ZOM demo was one of the most highly sought after demos last year, and with good reason. ZOM's debut release is five tracks of filthy, chaotic, unholy death metal that remains a cut above the rest in a sea of mediocre bestial metal.
Their demo has had three tape pressings so far on Invictus Productions, all of which have sold out promptly. I'm not sure if they're planning to do another one, but I believe there's some beautiful ZOM t-shirts still available on there for a reasonable price. I've talked about Invictus briefly before in my VOMITOR post, but basically they're a killer black/death metal label hosting some of the best active bands in the genre, including GOSPEL OF THE HORNS, VOMITOR, NEGATIVE PLANE and ZOM. They update their FB page quite regularly with band news, so I recommend checking out both the online shop and 'liking' them on FB for more information.
Their demo has had three tape pressings so far on Invictus Productions, all of which have sold out promptly. I'm not sure if they're planning to do another one, but I believe there's some beautiful ZOM t-shirts still available on there for a reasonable price. I've talked about Invictus briefly before in my VOMITOR post, but basically they're a killer black/death metal label hosting some of the best active bands in the genre, including GOSPEL OF THE HORNS, VOMITOR, NEGATIVE PLANE and ZOM. They update their FB page quite regularly with band news, so I recommend checking out both the online shop and 'liking' them on FB for more information.
ARTIST: ZOM
ALBUM: DEMO (2011)
GENRE: BLACK/DEATH METAL
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Proletar - Back To Hatevolution
Proletar are a three-piece grindcore band from Jarkata, ID, USA. Nothing too notable other than the fact that they're a fantastic grindcore band with a great sound. One of the few bands that can successfully incorporate that "modern" (i.e. digital) sound into their music without sacrificing any speed or power. NO BULLSHIT, JUST GRIND!
Back to Hatevolution is their discography CD. Enjoy!
ARTIST: PROLETAR
ALBUM: BACK TO HATEVOLUTION
GENRE: GRINDCORE
Sunday, June 17, 2012
Фронт (aka FRONT) - Der Wasser der Köln
It's a shame that a lot of these Russian bands are still a bitch to track down online (or at least they are for someone who doesn't speak Russian/know how to read or navigate Russian websites), because there's some damn fine metal out there I would love to have on my computer. It took a few days of searching and downloading to find a copy of this, but it was well worth the time and effort.
FRONT are a thrash metal band, hailing from Saint Petersburg. They're actually still active according to metal-archives (with their latest release coming out in 2009) . There's this kind of "eastern european metal sound" that you find in bands like Torr and Drakar, that Front definitely have. Metal-archives user UCTYKAH does a much better job of reviewing both the music and the historical context in which it was created than I ever could (excerpt below, entirety here):
FRONT's 1986 demo "Metallizacija" is usually credited for being a pioneering piece of thrash metal in the former USSR, anticipating recordings by other thrash brethren like SHAH, BLACK OBELISK, CLINIC and others. The vast majority of Russian metal during the days of the iron curtain was quite watery, let's put it this way, so whatever brutality that FRONT were able to generate back in the mid-80's was a breath of fresh air, despite garage recording and the band's less-than-stellar performance. Said demo, however, along with the above mentioned bands' albums are but smaller bricks next to a cinder block that was 1990's "Der Wasser Der Koln". The iron curtain already went down but the USSR would still stand for another year, so placing this album in that previous era seems the right thing to do.
The most striking aspect here is what a big fat rabbit FRONT were able to pull out of a hat. It seems like the band were looking right through the water and, due to some lucky coincidence or favorable planet alignment, tapped all the right sources and absorbed all the right influences from such monoliths as CELTIC FROST, AMEBIX and SLAYER, to name a few. Given the limited information flow from the West, it is quite possible that the latter was the only band FRONT may have been directly familiar with at the time. And yet it did not prevent "Der Wasser Der Koln" from bulldozing its way through the turning point of the era.
ARTIST: FRONT
ALBUM: DER WASSER DEL KOLN
GENRE: THRASH METAL
Saturday, June 16, 2012
10 SWORDS DISTRO POST: PATCHES FOR SALE
Along with running this blog, I'm also selling off my excessive music memoriliba collection aka 10 SWORDS DISTRO.
All embroidered patches are $2 unless otherwise specified, all cloth patches are $1. I'll ship to anywhere, just message me your address first and I'll calculate shipping from Canada.
CLOTH PATCHES
- Ancient Wisdom (comes with free button)
- Econochrist (Another Victim, white)
- Zounds (Can't Cheat Karma/War-Subvert)
- Lady Gaga (DOOM ripoff)
EMBROIDERED PATCHES
- Hellhammer (Triumph of Death
- Vomitor (logo)
- Sadistik Exekution (logo)
- Possessed (logo)
- N.M.E. (logo)
- Venom (logo)
- Archgoat (logo)
- Martire (logo/skull, originally from NWN! Diehard MLP)
- Vio-lence (logo)
- Typhus (logo)
- Ignivimous (logo, originally from NWN! Diehard MLP)
- Onslaught (demon w/logo)
- Nihilist (logo)
- Denouncement Pyre (black death chaos)
- Necrovore (logo)
- Grenade (logo)
- Shackles (logo w/reaper)
- Violator (logo)
- Destruktor (shaped patch)
- Tankard (logo)
- Slayer (pentagram logo)
- Evil Army (logo - NOT PICTURED)
- Sacrifice (logo - NOT PICTURED)
DISCOUNT EMBROIDERY PATCHES (missing 1 side)
- Dismember (logo)
- Conqueror (logo)
UPDATED JUNE 22ND, 2012. CONTACT MERCILESSINSANEDEATH@GMAIL.COM FOR DETAILS
All embroidered patches are $2 unless otherwise specified, all cloth patches are $1. I'll ship to anywhere, just message me your address first and I'll calculate shipping from Canada.
CLOTH PATCHES
- Ancient Wisdom (comes with free button)
- Econochrist (Another Victim, white)
- Zounds (Can't Cheat Karma/War-Subvert)
EMBROIDERED PATCHES
- Hellhammer (Triumph of Death
- Vomitor (logo)
- Sadistik Exekution (logo)
- Possessed (logo)
- N.M.E. (logo)
-
- Archgoat (logo)
- Martire (logo/skull, originally from NWN! Diehard MLP)
- Vio-lence (logo)
- Typhus (logo)
- Ignivimous (logo, originally from NWN! Diehard MLP)
- Onslaught (demon w/logo)
- Nihilist (logo)
- Denouncement Pyre (black death chaos)
- Necrovore (logo)
- Grenade (logo)
- Shackles (logo w/reaper)
- Violator (logo)
- Destruktor (shaped patch)
- Tankard (logo)
- Slayer (pentagram logo)
- Evil Army (logo - NOT PICTURED)
- Sacrifice (logo - NOT PICTURED)
DISCOUNT EMBROIDERY PATCHES (missing 1 side)
- Dismember (logo)
UPDATED JUNE 22ND, 2012. CONTACT MERCILESSINSANEDEATH@GMAIL.COM FOR DETAILS
Friday, June 15, 2012
Drug Problem - S/T LP
Drug Problem are a powerviolence/sludge band from New Zealand. They have their own unique misanthropic sound, but they're extremely similar to Dystopia -- lyrically and musically. It's much rawer than Dystopia, and in many ways much more reminiscent of black metal than crust. Also some great grindy parts and some killer samples! It's the type of album that makes you simultaneously reflect on how fucked up industrialized countries are and how much you enjoy this kind of music.
It was originally released on CD-r, but the fine folk[s?] at Diseased Audio were able to get in contact with one of the band members, and they've recently pressed it on vinyl in March 2012. It's a really nicely done LP, and if you're into record collecting it's definitely worth your money. There's a mediafire link below as always, but I've also included the link to the Diseased Audio distro where you can pick up the LP and some other great noisy shit. Enjoy!
It was originally released on CD-r, but the fine folk[s?] at Diseased Audio were able to get in contact with one of the band members, and they've recently pressed it on vinyl in March 2012. It's a really nicely done LP, and if you're into record collecting it's definitely worth your money. There's a mediafire link below as always, but I've also included the link to the Diseased Audio distro where you can pick up the LP and some other great noisy shit. Enjoy!
ARTIST: DRUG PROBLEM
ALBUM: S/T
GENRE: POWERVIOLENCE, SLUDGE
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