Lora/The Ultimate Screamo Band - Split 7"

Labels: A Fond d'Cale/Desordre Ordonne/Dingleberry Records/Friendly Otter/GBS Records/KeepHope Productions/Polar Summer/Pure Heart Records/Ultimo Violence/Zegema Beach Records

Formats: Vinyl/Digital

Release Date: 21 Feb 2017

Tracklist:

1. Lora - Сны

2. Lora - Пески

3. Lora - Смута

4. The Ultimate Screamo Band - Élevé Au Porc

5. The Ultimate Screamo Band - Hypertonie

6. The Ultimate Screamo Band - Lettre Violente

7. The Ultimate Screamo Band - L'ingénierie Sociale Vs L'ingéniosité

8. The Ultimate Screamo Band - Singularité Instrumentale

9. The Ultimate Screamo Band - À Mon Père

I've got a free day today so trying be productive early doors (that's a British saying for those that don't understand it, which relates to getting somewhere earlier than normal and I think it refers more to our drinking culture!). Anyway, as I was saying, I wanted to be productive today so I'm starting with a review of this split from 2017, that featured Russian screamo/hardcore band Lora and also Canadian screamo/emoviolence solo project The Ultimate Screamo Band. There were 325 copies of the split pressed with three different covers. It was a collaborative release by ten labels.

This split was Lora’s last release, according to their bandcamp page. During their relatively short tenure, they also released an EP in May 2015. I’ve always found Russian bands to have a raw yet melodic approach and Lora are certainly no different here. ‘Сны’ is a fierce opener from them, featuring intense emoviolence. ‘Пески’ leaves no time to regain breath as it instantly takes over from the opener. It’s grinding, off-kilter approach is joined by chaotic guitar and swirling, anguished screams. It’s really good, despite the fairly short running time. Their final song ‘Смута’ is menacing at first, before Lora launches into their final tome of blistering screamo madness. These three songs really hit hard.

The Ultimate Screamo Band follow Lora with six songs, though two-thirds of those don’t pass the minute mark. ‘Élevé Au Porc’ opens TUSB’s side in slightly bizarre fashion, with an intro that kind of sounds like it belongs in a poorly dubbed Japanese martial arts movie. What follows is a barrage of everything that makes screamo so good. I guess that’s what the band set out to do in the end! ‘Hypertonie’ provides a truly dramatic soundscape during it’s brief playing time, with very short moments of introspection before ‘Lettre Violente’ comes into view. It starts off gently, before a stop/start layer flows into music that gets faster and faster, before silence.

During a brief pause in the music at this point, I thought it would be great idea to scratch my forehead (literally) but because I’m a Brit and because we’re not used to the sun being out ever, I remember that my face is sun burnt. What follows is a seemingly lingering burning sensation. That previous bit of verbal diarrhoea has absolutely nothing to do with ‘L’ingénierie Sociale Vs L'ingéniosité’ though, which is pretty much over before you know it. Bloody solid though. ‘Singularité Instrumentale’ sees a shift in TSUB’s sound, with an instrumental song that has more of a calm atmosphere, albeit for a short while as split closer ‘À Mon Père’ puts pay to any sort of relaxing finish as one final blast of screamo/emoviolence bursts through the speakers.

The split 7” format does is again! Bringing together two bands from different corners of the world, drawing in new listeners and offering an enthralling listen. Neither band is active now (as far I know) but this is still a very worthy body of work, if you can track one down!

For Fans Of: Loma Prieta, Systral, Tenure, Portrayal Of Guilt & Infant Island

You can stream both sides for the split via Lora's and TUSB's respective bandcamp pages below, where both sides are also available to grab as a name-your-price downloads:-

Most of the releasing labels have either sold out of 7"s or closed; however, a small amount of remaining copies can be purchased from Friendly Otter below:-

Friendly Otter - https://friendlyotter.bandcamp.com/album/fo-85-split-7

A Fond d'Cale - https://www.facebook.com/afonddcaleprod

Dingleberry Records - https://www.facebook.com/Dingleberry-records-and-distribution

Friendly Otter - https://www.facebook.com/friendlyotterrex

GBS Records - https://www.facebook.com/GBS-Records

KeepHope Productions - https://www.facebook.com/KeepHopeProductions

Polar Summer - https://polarxsummer.bandcamp.com

Pure Heart Records - https://www.facebook.com/pureheartrecords

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

The Ultimate Screamo Band - La Saison Du Champignon

Labels: Desordre Ordonne/Friendly Otter/GBS Records/Zegema Beach Records/Adorno Records/Lead Rivers Records

Formats: Vinyl(Lathe)/Tape/Digital

Release Date: 13 Dec 2015

Tracklist:

1. La Raison Du Cabochon

2. Repenser

3. Bizarre Et Insistant

4. L'endette

5. Le Grand Suicide Pensant

I couldn't leave this review unpublished any longer, as I've writing and re-writing it for a few days now. This one is another Zegema Beach Records roster review, featuring French Canadian solo-screamo project The Ultimate Screamo Band. It's funny because the title of this release includes the name of my favourite type of beer as the moment (Saison), but that's a mere distraction. This EP was released back in late 2015 via a good few labels (all named above and according to Discogs). 

This EP’s playing time is less than five minutes it total, so I guess the fact that it was pressed onto a lathe cut 7” was due to it’s length (the tape copies were single-sided too, before you pull me up on that!). Opener ‘La Raison Du Cabochon’ is the essence of emoviolence, distilled into a sub one-minute song. Blistering instrumentation and vocals take no prisoners here.

‘Repenser’ is no different, albeit slightly longer. The vocals are way more piercing this time though, kinda reminding me of The Body (sorry for the unoriginal comparison). ‘Bizarre Et Insistant’ follows on immediately afterwards, providing no let up. It’s safe to say that The Ultimate Screamo Band might just be that! Trust me, they’re not boasting.

‘L’endette’ is musically brilliant from start to end and it proves once again that emoviolence/screamo can be beautiful, melodic and life-affirming all in one. EP closer ‘Le Grand Suicide Pensant’ is the longest song present on this release, clocking in at just under ninety seconds. Semantics aside, there’s a lo-fi quality to it’s beginning that makes you forget the caustic intensity that’s to come. 

La Saison Du Champignon goes by very quickly and definitely still holds up as the debut release from a band that turned up, destroyed everything and left (although the band isn’t fully gone). Emoviolence is fun. Be more like emoviolence.

You can stream the full EP and grab it as a free download below:-

The Ultimate Screamo Band - https://www.facebook.com/theultimatescreamoband

All physical copies of this EP are long sold-out, as far as I can tell.

Desordre Ordonne - https://cargocollective.com/desordreordonne

Friendly Otter - https://www.facebook.com/friendlyotterrex

GBS Records - https://www.facebook.com/GBS-Records

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

Adorno Records - https://adornorecords.bandcamp.com

Lead Rivers Records - https://leadriversrecords.bandcamp.com

Foxmoulder/Eaglehaslanded - Split LP

Labels: Boslevan Records/Desordre Ordonne/Don't Live Like Me Records/Koepfen/Krimskramz/Mosh Potatoes Records/TRVS Records/Zegema Beach Records/0331 Records

Formats: Vinyl/Digital

Release Date: 22 Aug 2015

Tracklist:

1. Foxmoulder - Tempered III

2. Foxmoulder - Needless/Anxious

3. Foxmoulder - Antrim

4. Foxmoulder - Shame

5. Foxmoulder - Increments

6. Eaglehaslanded - Intro (Nightmares In Suburbia Pt. III)

7. Eaglehaslanded - Заклятые Враги

8. Eaglehaslanded - Mora Samo Da Se Umre

9. Eaglehaslanded - Got A Flower

10. Eaglehaslanded - Tworatz

11. Eaglehaslanded - Grobljanska

12. Eaglehaslanded - 1000 Palms

Oh my how time is passing. It's 1st October already and it's the last day of my holiday (minus the weekend that's coming up). I've spent time outside, socialising with friends and family, sorting out adult stuff and in between all of those things, I've found time to listen to music too. Not written as much as I'd hoped but the sudden progression to Autumn might give me a kick up the backside in that respect.

As has been my aim lately, after every two scheduled reviews comes one tracking the constantly expanding roster of USA/Canadian label Zegema Beach Records (for those who're new to this series), according to their bandcamp release order. Today I'm writing about the 2015 split 12" that featured Canadian band Foxmoulder and Russian band Eaglehaslanded. It features five songs from Foxmoulder and seven from Eaglehaslanded. It was released with three different screen-printed covers; white print on blue cardboard, black print on red cardboard and red print of siege cardboard. The record was pressed on black vinyl, though I'm unsure of the exact number that were released.

Split 12”s have become increasingly more popular with bands over the last few years, probably due to the fact that pressing 7”s have become more expensive (that’s what I’ve heard from band/label friends anyway). That and because the former allows for more songs. Foxmoulder’s side of this one contains five. As with their previous recordings, their screamo is fast, short yet very expansive at the same time. ‘Tempered III’ starts off at a hell of a pace before the tempo and instrumentation slows, giving you a sludge/hardcore-like sound. ‘Needless/Anxious’ is angular, jangly emo-violence/math and it’s ace. Foxmoulder have always been very expressive musically and it shines through here.

On ‘Antrim’, there’s the realisation that Foxmoulder’s approach/formula to their music is really the element of surprise. There are some proper heavy bass-drop/breakdown-like parts within the song, amongst the off-kilter hardcore that makes up it’s backbone. They’re not full-on breakdowns but nestle deeper in the mix subtly. Good stuff. The aptly named ’Shame’ follows instantly and in doing so, retains so much momentum. It goes from fast to almost crawling pace mid-way through before a solid injection of punk and just utter madness. This is definitely amongst Foxmoulder’s best material to date.

Their closing song ‘Increments’ amalgamates all of their energy and song-writing skill, packaging it into what is (for them) a long song. It’s entirely instrumental and it’s atmosphere is undeniable. Post-hardcore with metal influences this time, yet still unmistakably Foxmoulder.

While those songs could work so well on a standalone release, there’s still the small matter of split mates Eaglehaslanded. They’re somewhat more chaotic yet also more experimental too. Their opener ‘Intro (Nightmares In Suburbia Pt. III)’ is filled with electronic music akin to chiptune. ‘Заклятые Враги’ is very much where the chaos comes in, with abrasive emo-violence and high-pitched screams aplenty. It’s the same on ‘Mora Samo Da Se Umre’, which to be frank is utterly mental and it’s slightly more lo-fi sound does nothing to dampen things. They remind of some of the Japanese bands like Tetola93 and Shuly To 104kz, whom I’m sure they’ve been compared to before.

The flowing nature of ‘Got A Flower’ wrestles away some of the intensity, which isn’t necessarily a band thing. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that means it’s easy-listening though, as it still has it’s moments and Eaglehaslanded still want to obliterate through sound. ‘Tworatz’ is another electronic song, except this time it’s also joined by the full band mid-way through. I don’t want to call it shock value, but that’s kind of how it feels and it’s cool!

Their penultimate song ‘Grobljanska’ has a much more serious tone to it. The spoken-word sample at the start is stark and what follows is equal to it. That tone even manages to breakthrough the constant feedback from the guitars, adding to the sense of foreboding that’s not been present up until now. ‘1000 Palms’ closes out the split in very similar fashion to how Foxmoulder closed out their side. The guitar playing and melodies are unexpectedly beautiful and the ambient waves underneath give a totally different perspective to the band’s sound. 

For me this is peak split. Both Foxmoulder and Eaglehaslanded still exist and haven’t gone away. Here they both show their best and bring out all kinds of feelings in you as a listener. Now, as the sun comes out around me I feel energised and happy. 

You can stream and download the split via both bands here:-

Foxmoulder - https://www.facebook.com/foxmouldertoronto

Eaglehaslanded - https://www.facebook.com/eaglehaslandedsuburbians

Physical copies are still available from the labels below:-

Krimskramz - https://krimskramz.com/produkt/005-foxmoulder-eaglehaslanded-split-12/

Mosh Potatoes Records - https://moshpotatoes.bandcamp.com/album/eaglehaslanded-foxmoulder-split

Zegema Beach Records CAN/INTL - http://www.zegemabeachrecords.com/zegema-beach-releases/foxmoulder-eaglehaslanded-split-12

Boslevan Records - https://www.facebook.com/BoslevanRecords

Don't Live Like Me Records - https://www.facebook.com/dontlivelikeme

Koepfen - https://www.facebook.com/Koepfen

Krimskramz - https://www.facebook.com/krimskramzstuff

Mosh Potatoes Records - https://www.facebook.com/moshpotatoesxvx

TRVS Records - https://www.facebook.com/trvsrecords

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

Nous Etions - La Manière Noire

Labels: Ancient Injury Records/Desordre Ordonne/Don't Live Like Me Records/Through Love Records/Zegema Beach Records/Beaver Club Records/Blind Eye Records

Formats: Vinyl/Tape/Digital

Release Date: 14 Apr 2014

Tracklist:

1. Ste-Lucie

2. Leviathan

3. Les Algorithmes Du Malheur

4. Juste

5. Le Journal De Ricardo Lopez

6. Les Vertiges Du Perche

7. Bleu Et Violet

I'm making up for a less-than-productive day by trying to be more so this evening. Here's a new Zegema Beach Records roster review, where I talk about music the label has release from earliest to latest. This review features the last recording by French-Canadian post-hardcore/screamo band Nous Etions, which was originally self-release in early 2014 before being picked up by a whole host of labels for vinyl and tape pressings later in the year. The band no longer exists in an active form, but there music lives on.

Nous Etions were based in Montreal, Quebec and their instrumental build-up on opening song ‘Ste-Lucie’ definitely contains more than a hint of the French sound. I’ve said before that most countries have a unique take on the genre and I think that’s where it comes from here (France). The tempo is on the slower side, as opposed to being too close to emoviolence. The vocals are harsh but their delivery is restrained, while the guitars provide melody that soothes in a strange way.

‘Leviathan’ is loverly and rhythmic, which negates the off-kilter edge to the song. There’s definitely something darker about it that brings the post-hardcore to the front. Words aren’t coming so easily to me tonight as I’m tired, but that’s all the more reason to just sit back and take this release in. 

The sound of Nous Etions definitely leans more heavily towards hardcore and that’s not a bad thing at all. ‘Les Algorithmes Du Malheur’ is a glorious take on the angrier and more caustic end of post-hardcore and is brilliant. The percussive vibrancy, the low-end heft and the melody of the guitars more than match up to the multi-vocal delivery here, especially during the song’s closing bars.

‘Juste’ signals the half-way point of the album with another menacing tome that’s buzzing with great musicianship and an urgency not felt so far. The band tells a story on ‘Le Journal De Ricardo Lopez’ and as my French is poor at best, I’m not going to try and translate the lyrics for you. The drama of the song as a whole should be enough to draw you in. 

The ferocity is tempered back ever-so slightly on penultimate song ‘Les Vertiges Du Perche’ but only just. Again, it’s a shorter song that brings out the up-tempo song-writing of Nous Etions. It does contain some great bouncy punk rhythms though! Closing song ‘Bleu Et Violet’ goes by too quickly, especially on this balmy summer evening. Even though Nous Etions no longer exists, this is a fine full-length to get lost in. 

Bands and genre fads come and go, but thankfully there’s plenty of reason to still enjoy music created  by those short-lived. Nous Etions still deserve open ears. 

You can stream and download La Maniere Noire for free below:-

Nous Etions - https://www.facebook.com/nousetions/

You can buy physical copies from the labels below:-

Zegema Beach Records - http://www.zegemabeachrecords.com/zegema-beach-releases/nous-tions-la-manire-noire-12

Ancient Injury Records - https://www.facebook.com/AncientInjuryRecords/

Don't Live Like Me Records - https://www.facebook.com/dontlivelikeme/

Through Love Records - https://www.facebook.com/ThroughLoveRec/

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

Beaver Club Records - https://www.facebook.com/Beaver-Club-Records

Blind Eye Records - https://www.facebook.com/BlindEyeRecords/