Showing posts with label Black Lake Records. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Black Lake Records. Show all posts

Wednesday, 7 August 2019

Seventeen Again - Invoke


Labels: Black Lake Records/The Ghost Is Clear Records/Zegema Beach Records
Formats: Vinyl/Digital
Release Date: 15 Feb 2014 (Digital)/14 Jun 2014 (Vinyl)

Tracklist:

1. Between The Lines
2. Around The Edges
3. Trevelyn
4. When In Rome
5. When In Hell
6. Cure Light Wounds
7. Billy Yank
8. Johnny Reb
9. Soak Up The Sun

It's been a while since I've done one of these reviews (and a little less of a while since I've done a review full stop). I'm getting back on the Zegema Beach Records roster horse and focusing this review on the only album to come from Michigan (USA) punk/hardcore band Seventeen Again. It was released by Black Lake Records (UK), The Ghost Is Clear Records (USA) and Zegema Beach Records (Canada) back in 2014 on vinyl, as well as digitally by the labels and by Seventeen Again themselves. They're no longer a functioning band but their members play in other bands.

Frustration doesn’t even come close to describing how this month has gone so far. I’ve not written anywhere near as much as I would have liked, though I really need to stop putting too much pressure on myself in that department. Some fast hardcore/punk and green tea should help be get over that though, at least for a time. This is fast hardcore and opening song Between The Lines barely lasts over a minute. It’s angular hardcore with off-kilter percussion and near-hysterical screams, so if you were wanting chuggy tough-guy stuff, look elsewhere. 

Seventeen Again is definitely more false-grind/emo-violence in posture than the hardcore tag would suggest and Around The Edges is abrasive and emotive in equal measure. The music’s also incredibly bass-heavy and it’s more obvious on Trevelyn, as the low-rumble accentuates the low vocal growls. Things get weird on When In Rome, which is slower in tempo but also more experimental. It stops on a dime and gives way to When In Hell, which is a really apt follow-up (let’s face it, most big cities are hell). It has a rock vibe to it though and also minimalist in approach and structure at points. 

You’re past the mid-way point when Cure Light Wounds comes into view and it’s another rager, with no time for breath or soft soothing tones. The second half of “Invoke” is also where Seventeen Again spread their musical wings a little, by writing and playing longer songs like Billy Yank. From the lengthy to the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it as penultimate song Johnny Reb’s moody overtones fly by in less than sixty-seconds and lead you to album closer Soak Up The Sun, which is anything but sunny in disposition. There is melody in it though, but like the rest of “invoke”, it’s subtle and surrounded by dissonance. 

So what if this is album is a few years old by now and Seventeen Again isn’t active, “Invoke” is still a lot of fun to listen to and escape everyday life with. Though I’m not sure I’d actually want to be seventeen again!

You can grab "Invoke" as a free-download from Seventeen Again's bandcamp page below:-




You can still get vinyl copies from the labels below:-

The Ghost Is Clear Records - https://theghostisclearrecords.limitedrun.com

The Ghost Is Clear Records - https://www.facebook.com/TGICRECS
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Tuesday, 4 June 2019

TDOAFS/Albatros - Split



Labels: Larry Records/No Funeral Records (Tape)/ L'Oeil Du Tigre/Don't Live Like Me Records/Black Lake Records/Dingleberry Records/Le Mort Records (Vinyl)
Formats: Vinyl/Tape/Digital
Release Date: 21 Nov 2016 (Vinyl Digital)/01 Apr 2019 (Tape)

Tracklist:

1. TDOAFS - Blank Paper
2. TDOAFS - The Whole World In My Hand
3. TDOAFS - Peaceful
4. TDOAFS - Face The Sun
5. Albatros - Vucules
6. Albatros - La Happy
7. Albatros - Clotaire Rapaille
8. Albatros - Le Split Rancid-NOFX

I wanna start this review with some advice for people reading that want to start a blog or site (because let's face it, nobody reads by opening ramblings!). Apart from the fact that you totally should do it, just remember that if you get enough people visiting it and people start sending you stuff, it's gonna become ALL CONSUMING!. This isn't a negative ramble, far from it. When I started down this rabbit hole over eight years ago, I didn't ever foresee my blog becoming anything that people would pay attention too, let alone write to asking for review etc. I couldn't be without it now, which is why posts like this mean so much to me. The fact that Mr Jablon cared enough to ask me to write some words about some of his release (let alone send me some!) make me happy.

Anyway, pointless rambles aside, this is the 2019 tape release of the split 10" that was released back in 2016 via all of the above labels (minus Larry Records). Larry released an extremely limited run of tape copies, that are now sold out, alongside No Funeral Records who made their own small run too. It features Canadian trio The Discord Of A Forgotten Sketch (TDOAFS) and their countrymen Albatros. This is a mix of screamo/post-hardcore and punk. 

This split contains four songs from both bands, beginning with TDOAFS.This is incredibly tuneful post-hardcore with vocals that sit buried within the music. Opener Blank Paper is a mix of upbeat melodic instrumentation and heavier passages, that are mainly guitar driven. It’s really creative and provides a different take on a sub-genre that’s growing exponentially within the underground at the moment. The Whole World In My Hand is more punk-influenced in parts, but TDOAFS retain their subtle aggressiveness too. 

Their songs are focused and the volume this trio produces is greater than expected. It all sounds very organic (it sounds like it was recorded live in it’s entirety). Carrying on the upbeat nature of their songs, Peaceful is anything but. It’s more angular this time and also there’s extra experimentation thrown in to the mix. It ends abruptly but that’s alright, as it keeps the momentum high going into last song Face The Sun. It’s another big song with a cathartic and almost euphoric feel to it, even when things take an introspective turn mid-way through.

I favour the “live reviewing” approach when writing, which means I like to let the music play as I write (usually on first listen too), which sometimes can be difficult if songs go by to quickly. Albatros’s Vucules is one such song, which flies by with a mix of fast hardcore and brass. It’s a strange mix but one that works superbly well. I’ve not heard a band like this ever I don’t think. I’ve heard bands that use clean singing and brass, but not harsh vocals. It gives La Happy a strange contrasting emotion that switches between darkness and light. They are French Canadian though, so it makes sense. 

Clotaire Rapaille carries on in the same vein and in no less entertaining because of it. It’s such a listenable formula that its hard to turn it off. The final song is called Le Split Rancid-NOFX and I’m not really sure what to expect. Albatros could be doing a medley of songs by both bands here, but doubt it. Either way, it’s a great way to end their side and indeed this split. This is such a unique and truly enjoyable split. If you’re a fan of post-hardcore then you’ll likely already be aware of TDOAFS obvious quality, but when you add in the originality of Albatros, you’ll be doubly impressed. If this was the first release of this split, it would be my favourite so far this year hands down. As it is, it’s still up there.

You can stream the full split via the TDOAFS bandcamp page below:-



Albatros have their side streaming below too, where you can also buy it digitally and on vinyl directly from them:-




Tape copies are sold out from Larry Records but you still find copies via No Funeral Records here - https://nofuneral.storenvy.com/

10" vinyl copies are still available via the below stores:-


L'Oeil Du Tigre (now ODT Records) - https://www.facebook.com/loeildutigre/
Don't Live Like Me Records - https://www.facebook.com/dontlivelikeme/
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Monday, 20 May 2019

Cassilis - Quitting


Labels: Zegema Beach Records/Square Of Opposition Records/The Ghost Is Clear Records/Black Lake Records
Formats: Vinyl/Digital
Release Date: 24 Apr 2014

Tracklist:

1. American 90s
2. Rat Pack
3. Boat Owners
4. Bloom Brigade
5. Softie
6. Sad Products
7. Jaw Session
8. Bone Sled
9. God Hair
10. King Jake
11. Groan Sleeve

Needed to get back on it so here's the newest review in my Zegema Beach Records roster series. This one goes back to 2014, when Philadelphia (PA, USA) quartet Cassilis released their second full-length "Quitting". It was released on single-sided vinyl with a screenpinted b-side, limited to 500 copies at the time of release. It contains 11 tracks filled with heavy hardcore/punk. Given that most of the bands that I've written about in this series so far are no longer releasing stuff, it's good to know that Cassilis are still active.

I’m going to be reviewing more punk and emo music this week, so this may be a bit noisy to start with but it still fits the theme. American 90s is a hell of an opener. Full of intense post-hardcore riffs that stay on the right side of being tough-guy and a dark atmosphere that’s helped by the huge drum sound and caustic vocals. There’s plenty of feedback too. The opener is a slight anomaly on ”Quitting” as Cassilis is actually pretty off-kilter and technical, as demonstrated on Rat Pack. They’re not afraid to keep things short, like on Boat Owners, which lasts just shy of sixty-seconds and is held together with genuine emotion and anger.

It’s all fairly mid-paced, which is a little surprise but that’s not to it’s detriment at all. Bloom Brigade seems to just get louder and louder, especially in the vocal department. They don’t dominate the recording by any means but when they are in full flow, the musical textures are hidden somewhat. Softie comes and goes with more hardcore attitude and power, while the rumbling, feedback-ridden noise of Sad Products is not an easy listen, even if it is an instrumental. It’s a barrage that will rattle your teeth when turned up. It acts as a precursor to the metallic madness that is Jaw Session. It reminds me of something that Snapcase would have written for “Bright Flashes”, although this is more technical to these ears.

Their rhythmic prowess shines through on Bone Sled, thanks to a great percussive performance. It’s part of something that’s hard to describe, as it’s a song that features elements from different styles of heavy music but also funk and even some metal (if I’m hearing it right). God Hair sounds like a hellish take on a Spaghetti Western theme song to start with, especially in the guitars but it descends into something all the more chaotic later on. It’s great! Following more twisting feedback, penultimate song King Jake hammers home the point with more loud and raucous punk. Cassilis waits until the end to perform their longest song on “Quitting” and it’s no surprise that the build-up to Groan Sleeve is harrowing and ringing with different pitches. It’s got the rock n roll swagger about it and the shouty attitude that means that you can’t play it too loud when there’s people living above and below you (like in my abode).

This record is over as quickly as it started. Cassilis makes a serious racket but that’s a good thing. Punk and post-hardcore continue to undergo shifts in their styles and bands continue to experiment. This album, given that it’s over four years old now, is just one example of that. Great noisy stuff. They have new songs up on their Bandcamp, so hopefully a full release will follow.

You can stream and purchase "Quitting" directly from Cassilis below:-




There are still copies of this record for sale out in the wild. Visit the links below:-

Zegema Beach Records - http://www.zegemabeachrecords.com/
Square Of Opposition Records - https://squareofopposition.limitedrun.com/
The Ghost Is Clear Records - http://theghostisclearrecords.limitedrun.com/

Square Of Opposition Records - https://www.facebook.com/squareofopposition/
The Ghost Is Clear Records - https://www.facebook.com/TGICRECS/
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