Louse - Small Pleasures EP

Labels: Makeshift Swahili

Formats: Vinyl/Digital

Release Date: TBA

Tracklist:

1. Small Pleasures

2. Little Jimmy

3. Christian Rat Attack

I nearly got clouted by a giant tree branch on Friday, courtesy of Storm Lilian. Would not recommend. At least I wasn't at Leeds Fest though! Instead, I've been slowly making my way through various new record purchases (from And So I Watch You From Afar, Blind Girls, Blind Monarch, I Haxa, Massa Nera & Quiet Fear, Norna, Piri Reis & Wharflurch) while also trying to keep on top of inbox arrivals, which I'm woefully behind on. One of those arrivals is the brand new EP from Newcastle-Upon-Tyne's Louse.

They were brought to my attention by Fionn who used to run the excellent emo/screamo label Rubaiyat Records and now runs Makeshift Swahili, focusing on DIY punk/hardcore/noise-rock. Small Pleasures is a new release containing three songs, while vinyl copies also include Louse's tracks from their 2023 split with The Shits on the b-side.

This is some dirty, punk-fuelled noise at it’s belligerent best. The EP title-track ‘Small Pleasures’ almost has no order whatsoever, except for the groove-laden guitars. Imagine Bloc Party, Throat and Meth Drinker forming a band together. To my ears, this is what it would sound like. 

‘Little Jimmy’ flits between sleazy grunge and intense noise. Slow in tempo but exhilarating in volume. When you ask somebody if they like punk/heavy music and they say “yes I like Blink-182 and Foo Fighters”, this is what you should play them. 

EP closer ‘Christian Rat Attack’ is made up of the reverb and distortion that filled the hallowed pages of Maximum Rock n Roll (if you can imagine such a thing). It’s also the harshest song here vocally, including some epic guitar work and percussion too. 

Ultimately, this EP isn’t going to be for everyone. Louse performs music that’s both dirty and groovy at the same time. They exist on their own plain and that’s absolutely fine.

You can listen to the EP title-track digitally below:-

Louse - https://lousescum.bandcamp.com

Physical copies will soon be available from Makeshift Swahili here - https://makeshiftswahili.bigcartel.com/product/mss007-louse-small-pleasures

Makeshift Swahili - https://makeshiftswahili.bigcartel.com/category/makeshift-swahili

Tenue - Arcos, Bóvedas, Pórticos

Labels: Chaina Records/Cintas Juan/Last Time You'll See Me/LongLegsLongArms Records/Pifia Records/Tormentas Records/Zegema Beach Records

Formats: Vinyl/CD/Tape/Digital

Release Date: 01 Aug 2024

Tracklist:

1. Inquietude

2. Letargo

3. Distracción

4. Enfoque

5. Unión

Spanish post hardcore/emo/crust quartet Tenue recently released their newest album Arcos, Bóvedas, Pórticos via the above labels. It follows their 2018 debut Anábasis and their 2021 album Territorios. Tenue have been mentioned in the same breath as bands like Respire, Birds In Row and Infant Island. This should be a great listen!

Bringing a unique flair to their record with the classy trumpet work of Gabriel Saito, Tenue’s opener ‘Inquietude’ on Arcos, Bóvedas, Pórticos starts off in surprisingly bright fashion. That’s not to say that what follows isn’t bright, but you all know about the harshness that’s invoked when anything screamo/hardcore-adjacent takes over. That said though, the melodic and almost anthemic delivery of Tenue’s crust-laden music leaves plenty of reasons to stick with it (as if you needed any anyway!). 

Being over nine-minutes in length, ‘Inquietude’ is not only a fantastically engrossing opening song, but it’s also an impressive intro for anybody who is new to Tenue as a band. It’s fast and slow sections call out other influences from post to black metal, but ultimately sub-genres don’t matter when the music is this good.

‘Letargo’ is much more frenetic right from the off with mathcore-like panic chords and time signatures gracing the song’s first sixty seconds, before Tenue retreats to a more laid-back emo base. It’s performed really well and sounds super uplifting. Even when things get heavier during it’s mid-section and beyond, things don’t stray to far from Tenue’s melodic blueprint. 

‘Distracción’ is where things hit full black/crust on this record, especially in the vocal department. The instrumentation does lean that way too but again, it’s delivered in a more melodic and punk-like fashion. The breadth at which Tenue performs their music is unbelievable really. Even during the song’s first three minutes, there’s more music than most bands can fit on lengthier albums. 

Penultimate song ‘Enfoque’ has a lovely ambient tone nestling in the background as it’s gentle percussion and guitar work builds. Cinematic post-metal envelopes you as Tenue shifts from that gentle intro towards a heavier approach, albeit subtly. When the tempo switches up, so does the heart rate. Naming similar bands at this point is a completely futile exercise, as Tenue forge their own path. 

’Unión’ closes out the album in breathtaking style, switching between so many different sub-genres almost interchangeably. Once again, the pace is insane yet the music itself is controlled and extremely well played. Honestly, I don’t know what else to say about this record. Maybe the gap between this an my last review has given me a clearer head but whatever, listening to this album has been so much fun. Tenue make astounding music that should be heard by a much wider audience for sure.

You can stream and purchase this release vinyl and digital formats below:-

Tenue - https://www.facebook.com/tenuepunx

Physical copies can also be purchased from the labels below:-

LongLegsLongArms Records - http://longlegslongarms.jp/music/index.php

Zegema Beach Records - CAN/INTL - http://www.zegemabeachrecords.com/zegema-beach-releases/tenue / USA - https://zbrusa.com/collections/zbr-releases/products/tenue-1

Chaina Records - https://www.facebook.com/ChainaRecords

LongLegsLongArms Records - https://www.facebook.com/3LAdisc

Pifia Records - https://www.facebook.com/pifia.rcs

Tormentas Records - https://www.facebook.com/tormentasrecords

Zegema Beach Records - https://www.facebook.com/zegemabeachrecords

Kurokuma - Of Amber And Sand

Labels: Self-Released

Formats: Vinyl/CD/Digital

Release Date: 09 Aug 2024

Tracklist:

1. I Am Forever

2. Sandglass

3. Death No More

4. Clepsydra

5. Fenjaan

6. Bell Tower

7. Neneh

8, Timekeeper

9. Crux Ansata

10. Awakening

11. Chronoclasm

Reading that a member of a heavy band considers their music to be 'too avant garde to get coverage amongst any blogs or printed magazines' left me quite sad. That sadness was short-lived though as Kurokuma's newest album Of Amber And Sand has recently garnered well-deserved coverage from both Decibel and Kerrang, alongside other platforms dedicated to good music. 

For those who might be stumbling across Kurokuma for the first time; they're a psych/sludge/stoner band from Sheffield (UK) who have released a demo, three EPs, two splits and two full-lengths since their inception in 2014, not to mention a standalone Kraftwerk cover (according to Metal Archives). 

I’m still getting used to having more time in the evenings. I don’t think I’m any more productive because of it but it’s still early days. One thing I do know is that I’m not forever, which may be an odd thing to say but Kurokuma’s music should (and will hopefully) be immortal, as album opener ‘I Am Forever’ proves. It contains probably the heaviest intro I’ve heard from the trio, let alone their most psych-laden/intense musical and vocal delivery. It’s an utterly brilliant first song, containing element of death (and even black) metal as well as an excellent Baglama solo from Babak Sharifimajd, providing a loverly and warm Middle Eastern tone.

The album is made up of six songs or “meditations’ as they’re described by Kurokuma and they’re separated by five interludes that are performed by Empyrean Silence (a mysterious entity that also resides in the Steel City). ‘Sandglass’ is the first interlude and it continues along the Middle Eastern path, leading to ‘Death No More’. By now, you may well notice a theme flowing through this album; one which definitely plays true to the avant garde description. ‘Death No More’ is off-kilter and it majors on the instrumental strengths of the band. It’s mid-paced at first before moving through many different tempos and transitions. The vocals add to the exhilaration even more so.

Following the album’s second longest song with the haunting interlude of ‘Clepsydra’ is a genius move as it briefly settles the mood in time for the groove-laden ‘Fenjaan’, which feature one of the most infectious bass/guitar riff combos I’ve ever heard from Jake and Zakk, whose dual vocals once again shine bright alongside Joe’s epic and controlled drumming. Kurokuma have really matured over recent years and it really feels like this album could truly be their coming of age.

I’m not one for multi-tasking but I am keeping one eye on the football scores this evening. Thankfully, my attention is drawn straight back to this album by atmospheric interlude ‘Bell Tower’, which flows effortlessly into ’Neneh’. It’s an uncharacteristically short song compared to the rest here but it cuts a nice groove once again, pulling you into the album’s second half in solid fashion. 

’Timekeeper’ drifts quietly into ‘Crux Ansata’, which begins oddly in almost mainstream fashion before dispelling any such falsehood thanks to sheer heaviness. It’s a side of Kurokuma that properly hits the spot, especially if you surround yourself with heaviness. Add in the bridge-riff from guest musician Bing snd you can’t really go wrong. At this point I have to mention the ace recording/mixing/mastering of Ian Boult (at Stuck On A Name, Nottingham), as it helps to elevate this record.

Final interlude and penultimate track ‘Awakening’ is brief yet startling, leading into album closer ‘Chronoclasm’, which is the album’s longest song. It harnesses everything that’s great about Kurokuma’s psychedelic sound thanks to the instrumentation and it’s quality. Nearly four minutes pass by before the vocals kick in and when they do, they add an even greater layer to the song, as does the breakdown that was written specially by Thomas Wesley Pentz.

The thing I love above all else about the music and bands I’m lucky enough to cover here is that they’re always looking to push themselves, and their boundaries. The UK music community (away from what’s considered to be mainstream) is a shining example and Kurokuma deserve to be at it’s forefront with Of Amber And Sand.

You can stream and purchase Of Amber And Sand digitally below, where it's also available on cd and vinyl formats:-

Kurokuma - https://www.facebook.com/kurokumauk

Orme - No Serpents, No Saviours EP

Labels: Self-Released

Formats: CD/Digital

Release Date: 23 Aug 2024

Tracklist:

1. No Serpents, No Saviours

There's a hell of a lot of discourse and misinformation doing the rounds right now, especially here in the UK. I'm all for peaceful protest but when it becomes violent, I switch off because said violence dilutes and illegitimises any such "legitimate" cause. Obviously, my small rant means absolutely nothing in the grand scheme of things but given what's going on across the globe right now, being aware is important. 

I'm kicking off my latest review schedule with drone/doom band Orme and their newest release single track EP (due for official release on August 23rd) called No Serpents, No Saviours, that stretches beyond twenty-four minutes. With their roots in the county that I called home for the first four years of my life, Hertfordshire (I lived in Bishop's Stortford), Orme released their debut self-titled EP in April 2023. They've since followed it up with this new EP and a split release with Wreaths (released earlier this year via Inverted Grim-Mill Recordings and the sadly departed Trepanation Recordings).

It isn’t often that I review single tracks, mainly because I feel that they don’t last long enough for me to formulate any sort of reasonable commentary. This release from Orme is different due to it’s sheer length. No Serpents, No Saviours spans just over twenty-four minutes and is made up of some of the finest drone/doom the UK has produced in a long time. When I think of similar bands; Ommadon and Bismuth spring to mind. Sadly Ommadon are no longer active, but Orme fill the void left brilliantly. 

This is just the perfect combination of epic percussion, rumbling bass, sloth-like riffs and deathly vocals. Psych influences manage to slide their way in at times, but ultimately there’s nothing bright about the sound produced here. That’s fine though because it should only herald darkness. In the case of the latter-half; beautiful yet crushing calmness, stark spoken-word samples and soaring musicianship take over. The lead-guitar work/solos encapsulate what I was just trying to convey in a much better way.

A couple of paragraphs don’t do Orme and their music justice. Merely giving a verbal taste of what’s on offer is enough for me. This is a blisteringly good EP. If you like heavy and/or really well written and performed music in general, you won’t go wrong here.

The EP isn't available to stream yet for obvious reasons but you can pre-order it both on CD or digital formats here - https://ormedroneuk.bandcamp.com/album/no-serpents-no-saviours.

Orme - https://www.facebook.com/ormedroneuk

Sutras - Awakening Of The Spirit EP

Labels: Self-Released

Formats: Digital

Release Date: 30 Aug 2024

Tracklist:

1. Deathless

2. A Daily Reprieve

Recently I was contacted by an individual from Washington D.C. of all places. Tristan Welch makes up one half of US punk/shoegaze/post-hardcore band Sutras, alongside Frederick Ashworth. Tristan's a member of drone band Requiem while Frederick also performs in post-dreamgaze band The Escape Artist, as well as experimental band Almas (if my sources are correct!). Awakening Of The Spirit contains two songs. Join me as I dive into their debut EP.

I’ve nailed down a review schedule for the next few weeks and honestly, it’s a proper relief. I still have a long way to go but things are looking a lot better organisation-wise. Kicking off with US duo Sutras feels absolutely perfect, given the breadth of submissions I’ve received lately. Sutras call themselves a punk/shoegaze/post-hardcore band and on hearing ‘Deathless’, it’s hard to argue with their assessment. The duo’s music is both melodic and sludge-like in delivery, growing with emotion throughout it’s four+ minutes.

‘A Daily Reprieve’ hits hard instantly, which isn’t always the case for post-rock/hardcore bands. The overriding sense is that of heavy sludge but there’s something more subtle going on as well. As a duo, Sutras know exactly what they want to achieve musically. Obviously, it’’s early days and given that they cite influences as far ranging as Tragedy, Jesu, Majority Rule and 108 (as well as receiving the mastering treatment from James Plotkin here on less), it won’t be too long before they’re standing next to their musical peers.

You can stream Awakening Of The Spirit via bandcamp below:-

Sutras Instagram - @sutras.music

IEatHeartAttacks - Please Just Dance Death + Hello Cole Porter

Labels: Zegema Beach Records

Formats: Tape/Digital

Release Date: 20 Mar 2019

Tracklist:

1. Liar

2. The Six

3. Refuge Tropicana

4. M.I.A.

5. Two-Step

6. Drowning Is My New Favorite Thing

7. Please Just Dance Death

8. You Will Try To Escape

9. Black Hearts

10. Desperation

11. Deadpool

12. Hello Cole Porter

Jumping back into the ZBR Roster review series before I try to nail down the (as always loose) schedule for August. Things are very much coming together in my day job, which should hopefully mean a more organised approach to all things This Noise Is Ours. Tonight, I'm focusing on IEatHeartAttacks from Norway, who were (and maybe still are?) associated with Norwegian label Fysisk Format, whom turned me onto some very awesome bands including Arabrot, Haust, Kollwitz and Okkultokrati, amongst many others. 

This comp tape gathers their 2017 album Please Just Dance Death (originally released via Fysisk Format) alongside their 2015 EP Hello Cole Porter. Given that it's been seven years since any new music from IEatHeartAttacks, this tape (which is still available to purchase by the way!) stands as their most recent physical release, thanks to Zegema Beach Records.

This tape features twelve songs that go by in just over twenty four minutes. Please Just Dance Death makes up the first three-quarters, starting with ‘Liar’, which is a violent take of screamo and post-hardcore with a solid punk edge. Blasting drums, hardcore vocals and catchy riffs contribute to a rip-roaring opener.’ The Six’ rages in a very similar vein, with a tempo that switches from fast to mid-paced and back round again before you can blink an eye. It’s chaotic but controlled. I can see why Fysisk Format took them in with open arms back in the day. 

‘Refuge Tropicana’ shows off the band’s classy guitar playing alongside their heavier musical delivery. It reminds me of Refused, Kvelertak and The Hives is they became one interchanging artistic mass. I’m well aware that two of those bands are from Sweden, so don’t worry. IEatHeartAttacks could well be describing their own recent silence with ‘M.I.A’, but silent it’s not. A heaving yet precise post-hardcore song delivered in the best way (including their take on panic chords!).

Everybody loves a bit of two-step and the song that bares the same name is, dare I say, a lot more off-kilter. ’Two-Step’ features off-tempo rhythms and atmospheric passages, marking it out as the album’s longest song in the process. Maybe not the easiest to mosh or dance to but don’t let that put you off. From those good vibes to the starkly titled ‘Drowning Is My New Favourite Thing’. Okay so the title doesn’t give way to anything depressive or such like, as it keeps the momentum high and the riffs loose. 

Title track ‘Please Just Dance Death’ once again highlights the off-kilter/math tendencies that IEatHeartAttacks employ throughout their music. Honestly, it’s a banger of a song that’s catchy in absolutely the right way, before giving way to the equally infectious You Will Try To Escape. Itself a mix of rock ’n’ roll fuelled hardcore and atmospheric screamo.

‘Black Hearts’ brings the Please Just Dance Death portion of this release to an end in raucous fashion, sounding a bit like a collage of Cancer Bats and Gallows sound-wise. I’m not complaining! At the end of the comp’s latter half is the Hello Cole Porter EP, which shows off some of the band’s earlier songs. ‘Desperation’ is raw and more visceral. It’s not too far away from the sound on Please Just Dance Death, just a bit less polished (if that’s even accurate!).

‘Deadpool’ may be named after the Ryan Reynolds movie character and if it is, that’s a lucky guess (because the reason why is not obvious to me) but what is obvious is how powerful and too-the-point it is. Ending with ‘Hello Cole Porter’, you’re greeted with a stupendous take on sassy noise-rock that derseves to go on and on.

I’m not sure if any new music will come from IEatHeartAttacks in the future and this tape stands as their latest (and now very very limited) physical release. Whichever way you consume music, go and give this band plenty of love.

You can stream/purchase both Please Just Dance Death and Hello Cole Porter digitally from IEatHeartAttacks below:-

IEatHeartAttacks - https://www.facebook.com/ieatheartattack

If you prefer physical releases, a very limited amount of tape copies are still available from Zegema Beach Records below:-

Zegema Beach Records - CAN/INTL - http://www.zegemabeachrecords.com/zegema-beach-releases/ieha / USA - https://zbrusa.com/collections/zbr-releases/products/ieatheartattacks-please-just-dance-death-hello-cole-porter-cassette-1

Zegema Beach Records - https://www.facebook.com/zegemabeachrecords