OFF! - First Four Eps

Yes, I know this band is super mainstream. But honestly...it's well deserved. I grew up on Circle Jerks and Black Flag, and while this album definitely isn't either one of those bands, it has the same raw energy that both of those pioneering bands had. And to have that kind of energy where the average age of the band members is nearly 50? That's fucking impressive.

Even if you don't like the music, their first "album" -- which is actually a compilation of their first four 7"s -- is evidence that Keith Morris is talented as fuck. He's described OFF! as a band that picks up where Black Flag left off: that's a pretty spot-on description of this album. I usually loathe "supergroups," because I find that they tend to breed arrogance (well yeah, of course it's going to be awesome, it's got members of Band XY and Z in it etc.) but I really don't find that with OFF! At all.

Buuuuut....I'm also a huge sucker for noisy, angry music. So the download link is below where you can decide for yourself.

ARTIST: OFF!

ALBUM: FIRST FOUR EPS

GENRE: HARDCORE PUNK

MEDIAFIRE

The Great Old Ones - Al Azif

I try to do my own thing most of the time, but this atmospheric black metal piece posted by Equivoke was too good for me to keep to myself. Most of my favorite music is fast-paced, but in the past 12 months I've developed a much stronger appreciation for slow, atmospheric stuff -- and I'm glad I did, because it's allowed me to appreciate this band's music!

The Frenchies really know how to make their black metal (just add heroin and stir until misanthropic, heh), and The Great Old Ones are no exception. Based off of the mythology created by H.P. Lovecraft, Al Azif is an album that is cold and dead as the ocean floor. I don't listen to a lot of other atmospheric black metal bands at the moment, so I can't draw as much of a sound comparison as I have in earlier posts, unfortunately. It makes me think of black metal from the depths of the sea. That's about as in depth as I can go. I've included their bandcamp at the bottom so you can preview/purchase this album for those with more money than I. Enjoy!

ARTIST: THE GREAT OLD ONES

ALBUM: AL AZIF 

GENRE: ATMOSPHERIC BLACK METAL

BANDCAMP

MEDIAFIRE

Sabbat (jpn) - Karisma

...If that picture alone doesn't send chills running down your spine, there's not a lot of hope for ye. Sabbat are a Japanese black/thrash metal band that have been consistently putting out killer releases since the 1980s. Not only is their music loud and evil as hell, but they're all super talented dudes, and Karisma in particular has some FANTASTIC guitar playing on it. I like a ton of their stuff, but because the band has been running so long, there's a LOT of material to choose from. I'll likely upload their other releases on here in time, but Karisma and Evoke are my two personal favorites, and both are good starting points for someone looking to get into them. HAILS!

ARTIST: SABBAT

ALBUM: KARISMA

GENRE: BLACK/THRASH METAL

MEDIAFIRE

Plasmatics - Coup D'Etat

This is another post where I don't get to upload what I'd really like to share with everyone -- in this case, the upcoming Lita Ford album. It reminds me of Motorhead's Motorizer in terms of overall sound and production, which is a good thing as I don't like a lot of Motorhead's discography. Also, I'm a huge sucker for good ol' female fronted rock n' roll. Which brings me to tonight's topic, Wendy O. Williams and the Plasmatics.

My suggestion to you would be to thoroughly google Wendy and her band yourself, because there's way too much awesomeness to cover here. To summarize, the Plasmatics were a heavy metal band that were way ahead of their time, and Coup D'Etat is arguably their best album. I like everything of the Plasmatics that I've heard so far, but I feel like this release showcases their musicianship and energy the most effectively.

Now I admit, this band took me a while to get into. When I first heard The Damned, I hated it. I think the drawback to this album is that it's very much a product of its time, and if you're not accustomed to 1980s production/music trends, it's going to seem like a long, painful album to sit through. But trust me when I say that this band is one of the most highly underrated gems of heavy metal.

WENDY O. RULES, POSERS GET LOST!

ARTIST: PLASMATICS

ALBUM: COUP D'ETAT

GENRE: HEAVY METAL, ROCK N' ROLL

COUP D'ETAT (MEDIAFIRE)

Fucked Up - Hidden World/Epics in Minutes

So, the album I've REALLY been enjoying lately is the new OFF! LP that came out yesterday. However, because I purchased it on iTunes, an upload of the album wouldn't really work because the files would be password protected by my iTunes account. Not to mention, it's a great album/band, and you can instantly download it for under 10 bucks. It'll be out for free on the interwebs soon enough, but my personal recommendation is to buy it/steal it/get your hands on it somehow.

In lieu of that release, I'm sharing another great hardcore punk album that has helped me get through a lot of shit. Fucked Up is a band that has been through 10+ years of blood sweat and tears, and their recent fame and success is well-deserved. The early stuff (as their sound changes quite dramatically from their demos to the latest album) is reminiscent of bands like Poison Idea left off. It's a tough call between their first full-length album and their demo discography, so I uploaded them both so you can make that call for yourself. Epics in Minutes is much more transparent about their influences, and the songs are short, violent hardcore that stays in your head for days Hidden World has the same energy that made their 7"s so great, but the songs are much longer and they begin developing the melodic "rock opera" style that makes up their current tunes. I'd recommend listening to Hidden World in one go the first time you listen to it, because the album has great flow. They're currently on hiatus, and I'm glad I finally got to see them live last summer before that happened.

ARTIST: FUCKED UP

ALBUM: HIDDEN WORLD LP + EPICS IN MINUTES

GENRE: HARDCORE PUNK, CANADIAN HARDCORE

MEDIAFIRE (HIDDEN WORLD)

MEDIAFIRE (EPICS IN MINUTES)

First Post! Vlad Tepes/Belketre - March To The Black Holocaust

So this is the first post of hopefully many in my new music blog. I've been meaning to embark on this project for a while, but didn't have the software/motivation/time to do so until now. While not exclusively limited to it, this blog will mainly cover "heavier" genres of music (punk, grind, metal. etc.)

I've been into punk and metal since my sister got me into it around age 9, and I've been playing bass since I was 12, and learned guitar and drums when I was 15. I live a much more minimalistic lifestyle nowadays, but growing up I used the money from my two jobs to acquire a vinyl collection of 200+ LPs, 200+ CDs, and numerous tapes/7"s before the age of 18. So don't come bitching and moaning to me that blah blah blah the internet is killing underground music...I fucking get it. This isn't 1980 and the playing field is way different. I'll still support bands anyway I can (including if a band asks me to take a release off the site, I'll happily comply), my point is that while it's great to be supporting the bands that you love, anyone who's in music purely for the money is a douche anyways and I don't give a shit if I'm "stealing" from them.

So! Without further ado, I present the first offering: Vlad Tepes/Belketre's March to the Black Holocaust. Part of the Les Legions Noires, this split is considered one of LLN's best releases -- and rightfully so. It's raw, lo-fi black metal at it's finest. It's extremely rough and atmospheric: can't comment much on musicianship here because there are many points where you simply can't make it out. But that's not what music like LLN is about. I find with raw-sounding bands like those found in LLN, it does require a particular mindset/mood to truly appreciate, but it also comes down to a "like it or you don't" vibe as well. So here ya go:

ARTIST: VLAD TEPES/BELKETRE

ALBUM: MARCH TO THE BLACK HOLOCAUST (split)

GENRE: BLACK METAL, LES LEGIONS NOIRES

 MEDIAFIRE