Wednesday, 19 November 2014

Corrupt Leaders - S/T 7" + Dogma/Corrupt Leaders - Split 7"


It's mid-week and I already feel whacked. Now seems as good a time as any then, to check out some fast stuff I've not had chance to write about yet. I'm starting with a 7" that came out right at the start of the year and was the first physical release to come from Moshpit Tragedy Records, in 7 years! It's a four-track EP by Canadian crust band Corrupt Leaders.

Since forming in late 2013, Corrupt Leaders have released this and a split with Dogma, which I'm also reviewing here. In August, they played Don't Call It A Fest (which was headlined by Magrudergind and Young And In The Way).

Tracklist:-

1. Dig Their Own Graves
2. Breathe
3. Backward To Death
4. Traditions Of Abuse

Yeah, this hits the spot! It’s groovy, d-beat filled crust with huge guitars. The vocals are raspy, angry screams and opener Dig Their Own Graves has immediate impact, much like a kick in the face!
The punk influence is also strong. Breathe spins CL’s crust out and features riffs that could (loosely) be described as danceable, at least until the sludge kicks in anyway. The sludgy riffs actually give this an extra dimension.

I’m not leaving the bass out of this either. To match the big sound and Audiosiege mastering, the bass is turned right up. It hits hardest during Backward To Death, where it juxtaposes the metallic lead guitar. The mid-section is full of more mid-paced sludge groove and a menacing introspective instrumental passage, which features distant birdsong to quell the mood. CL close out with one final fast blast. Traditions Of Abuse takes you back to their crusty beginnings but distills some Southern groove into the mix for good measure. 

Stream and grab it as a name-your-price-download below:-






Fast-forward to September and Corrupt Leaders released this split 7" with US cohorts Dogma, whom they toured with the previous year. It was again released through Moshpit Tragedy and features two tracks from Dogma and three from CL. Dogma are just one of a huge number of US bands that I'm only just discovering!

Tracklisting:-

1. Dogma - Premeditated Obsolescence
2. Dogma - Wolf
3. Corrupt Leaders - Power Lines
4. Corrupt Leaders - Patterns
5. Corrupt Leaders - Antennas

Dogma start us of with Premeditated Obsolescence that plunges headfirst into grinding punk territory. It’s raw and fast, with some great lead guitar. Wolf is where Dogma lose their shit. They flit between punk and groove with ease and drag a million circle-pitting goons along for the ride. I may be building this up too much, but what they heck. The mix of punk and stoner groove is pretty damn infectious.

Corrupt Leaders follow up in the same fashion and with a more gutter-drenched sound than on their self-titled 7”. Power Lines is a furious minute of squalid crust. CL thrash on Patterns. The opening riffs and drum-blasts are great and their later forays into sludge during the song’s second half, provides a bit of relief (though it’s not light by any means). Their closing tome, Antennas, is stop/start and features dual high/low growls for added bite. Like their previous contributions above, CL manage to weave so many different styles into their crust. 

Stream Dogma's side here:-



Stream CL's side here:-



You can get both sides a pay-what-you-want downloads from the above bandcamp pages.

These records are being distributed by Give Praise Records here - http://www.givepraiserecords.com/fastshop/

Corrupt Leaders - https://www.facebook.com/corruptleaders
Dogma - https://www.facebook.com/DogmaNWI

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