Old Soul - Natures Arms Encircle All

Labels: Self-Released/Ancient Injury Records/Dingleberry Records/IFB Records/Maniyax Records/Zegema Beach Records

Formats: CD/Vinyl/Digital

Release Date: 07-Aug-2011 (CD/Digital Self-release)/04 Nov 2014 (Vinyl release)

Tracklist:

1. Ocean

2. Triton

3. Orbit

4. Shallows

After what seems like an age, I'm back with another ZBR roster review. I'm persisting with it because I enjoy it and I enjoy music. I first became aware of US band Old Soul when they released Tidal Lock, thanks to UK label Dog Knights Productions, who were one of five labels involved in the vinyl pressing. I picked up a copy of Natures Arms Encircle All when I ordered a load of records directly from ZBR. Old Soul foamed in 2010 and since then the six-piece have released three albums, an EP and three split records. 

Never have I heard a record with such a beautifully placed emo/screamo beginning. I mean that in the nicest way possible, as the child’s spoken-word that adorns opener ‘Ocean’ is perfect. So to is the clean guitar that lends it’s atmosphere to the space in between that spoken-word and the dissonant sludge-like verse that follows. Old Soul are not a chaotic band by any means. They prefer to paint pictures with clear musicality and even when they launch into what they call ‘black trip dreamo’, they’re still on the right page. ’Triton’ continues where ‘Ocean’ left off. At first it’s more of an archetypal screamo song but nothing is truly that way on this record and before long the blackened instrumentation and atmosphere is heightening your senses, while wrapping it’s arms gently around you. 

I love the way that all of the songs on here flow, continuing where the previous one had left off. ‘Orbit’ is more angular in places and the full band has more room to play here. They unleash something that’s both fast in tempo and engaging in design. It’s added running time means they can be more expressive and it works. If you’re a sucker for longer closing songs on records, ’Shallows’ is the one you’ll lose yourself in. It’s a mix of all kinds of emotions and genres, albeit heavy ones. Old Soul do come from a darker direction but it doesn’t overpower their post-hardcore/metal sound and in fact it makes it better. The quality of the recording is amazing as well, considering Natures Arms Encircle All was Old Soul’s first release. 

The LP came in a wraparound card sleeve containing a printed inner sleeve, poster/lyric insert and the record itself was pressed on brown/grey merge coloured vinyl (though I think colours do vary). It was also self-released by the band on CD. Both the physical release and the music contained on it are a thing of beauty. Grab a copy if you still can.

You can stream and purchase the album digitally from Old Soul below:-

Old Soul - https://www.facebook.com/OldSoulband/

As for physical copies, Zegema Beach Records is the only releasing label that still has copies (as far as I can tell from my research):-

ZBR CAD/INTL Store - http://www.zegemabeachrecords.com/

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

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

IFB Records - http://www.ifbrecords.com/

Maniyax Records - https://www.facebook.com/ManiyaxRecords/

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

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:-

TDOAFS - https://www.facebook.com/Tdoafs

Albatros - https://www.facebook.com/albatrosqc/

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:-

Black Lake Records - http://blacklakerecords.bigcartel.com/product/bl029-albatros-tdoafs-split-10

Le Mort Records - http://lemortrecords.blogspot.com/p/distro.html

L'Oeil Du Tigre (now ODT Records) - https://www.facebook.com/loeildutigre/

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

Black Lake Records - https://www.facebook.com/blacklakerecords/

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

Le Mort Records - https://www.facebook.com/lemortisdead/

Stuntman/Art Of Burning Water - Split 7"

Labels: Bigout Records/Ecstatic Shock/Emergence/Dingleberry Records/ Jungle Khol/Superfi Records/Wooaaargh Records

Formats: Vinyl/Digital

Tracklist:

1. Stuntman - Easy Prey

2. Art Of Burning Water - The Death Of Unconditional Love In The Age Of I-Me-Me

3. Art Of Burning Water - Don't Need (Deep Wound Cover)

The march continues unabated in 2018, with countless releases still to see the light of day. This split 7" featuring French noisy hardcore mob Stuntman and fellow Brits Art Of Burning Water is very new indeed and will hopefully help to kick you full-force into the second half of your week. It was forged out of a long friendship between both bands and is being released by a group of labels that share an equal friendship. Two heavy, fast originals and a Deep Wound cover. What's not to like?

If you want chaotic and brutally noisy hardcore, then Stuntman is most definitely your band. Metallic guitars, up-tempo blasting percussion and vocals delivered with ferocious intent should be enough for you on their song Easy Prey. However; if they’re not, then Stuntman’s combination of fast and slow heaviness will seal the deal. There’s the best of both worlds here including a heap of powerviolence-esque sludginess. 

Art Of Burning Water are known for not taking any prisoners. The Death Of Unconditional Love In The Age Of I-Me-Me is filled with huge riffs that sound more like proper hardcore stompers before the pace is upped and they fly headlong into some grinding hardcore madness. They add a cover of Deep Wound’s Don’t Need onto the end of this split and it’s ever shifting time-signatures suit them down to the ground. 

AOBW are masters at what they do and Stuntman’s added ferocity makes this split a must for fans of heavy and noisy hardcore. So many bands play this form of hardcore but both bands here deliver it in a unique way, which is exhilarating to listen to.

You can stream and grab a download of the full split below:-

Stuntman - https://www.facebook.com/stuntmannoise/

Art Of Burning Water - https://www.facebook.com/aobwmusic/

Physical copies can be ordered from the links below:-

Bigout Records - https://www.bigoutrecords.com/cat/bigout-releases/

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

Jungle Khol - https://www.facebook.com/Jungle-KHÔL

Superfi Records - http://superfirecords.limitedrun.com/

Wooaaargh Records - http://www.wooaaargh.com/

Bigout Records - https://www.facebook.com/bigoutrecords/

Superfi Records - https://www.facebook.com/superfirecords/

Wooaaargh Records - https://www.facebook.com/WOOAAARGH/

I've been unable to find store/page links for Ecstatic Shock Records or Emergence Records, so please help me out if know of any! Thanks.

Crowning/Swallows Nest - Split

Labels: Zegema Beach Records/IFB Records/Time As A Color/Dingleberry Records

Formats: Vinyl/Digital

Release Date: 24 Jun 2018

Tracklist:

1. Crowning - Coil

2. Crowning - Old References

3. Crowning - Nerve

4. Swallows Nest - A Subtle Knife For New Doors

Here's a split that isn't so new (sorry for being late to the party, again!) but who cares, I still want to write about it. It's features Chicago "DadrockViolence" band Crowning and Dunedin (NZ) screamo band Swallows Nest. The 7" was released in June by four of the hardest working overseas labels I know, though I'm a little unsure of the actual release date, so if it's incorrect above please let me know. Both Crowning and Swallows Nest are new to me, so I'm looking forward to this.

Crowning get three songs here and they don’t hang about. Their opener Coil is a violent and heavy blast of hardcore/emoviolence that’s lasts just over sixty seconds but is filled with riffs and bile for days. The slightly more pensive Old References gives the rhythm section time to talk before they once again unleash their unrelenting screamo. There’s a lot to take in but it’s so additive. Crowning’s final song Nerve is absolutely no different and the blasting cymbals that sit alongside the punk-like guitar work in the mid-section hide the angst and misery within. 

Swallows Nest, from easily the most beautiful country in the world, play screamo that suggests all is not well on A Subtle Knife For New Doors. It’s slower but no less heavy and the dual-vocals give it extra oomph. Melody exists within both bands but here it does provide more atmosphere, even when Swallows Nest head off in a more off-kilter/chaotic direction. I could listen to this split over and over again, and in fact I probably will. The feedback that ends it underlines the savageness of it while the silence that follows reminds you that there’s always a light at the end of the tunnel.

Crowning - https://www.facebook.com/crowningband/

Swallows Nest - https://www.facebook.com/Swallows-Nest

Digital downloads can be purchased from the bandcamp pages of the labels involved. physical copies can be purchased from the links below:-

Zegema Beach Records - http://zegemabeachrecords.storenvy.com/

IFB Records - http://www.ifbrecords.com/distrolist/

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

IFB Records - http://ifbrecords.blogspot.com

Time As A Color - https://www.facebook.com/timeasacolor/

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

10 Questions: Respire

These interview features are starting to pick up a bit of pace. This instalment features Toronto (Can) based post-hardcore band Respire, as they release their latest record "Dénouement". I won't give too much away in the opening paragraph. My thanks go to Rohan and Respire for taking the time to answer my questions.

Who is in the band and where are you from?

Respire are from Toronto, Canada. Our current family is Ben Oliver (bass), Travis Dupuis (drums), Darren Scarfo (guitar), Egin Kongoli (guitar, vocals), Rohan Lilauwala (guitar, vocals), and Eslin McKay (violin, viola). We’re a collective in spirit and in practice - we have an open-door policy for our extended family of talented friends and collaborators. That means sometimes we have six musicians on stage, and sometimes there’s ten or more.

What is the history of Respire? When and how did you form?

Respire started in the bitter early months of 2013 when a few of us started writing songs in the basement of defunct punk house Skramden Yards. We quickly found a shared commitment to making music that was cathartic, honest, vulnerable, while also creatively and conceptually ambitious.

Have any of you played in previous bands and are you in any other bands currently?

We all met playing together in the Toronto DIY scene. Various combinations of us have played in bands like Foxmoulder, Tell-Tale Hearts, Quone, Araby, Ramon Gris, Delo Truda, Ruzan Orkestar, Homage, Marla Singer, and Tower of Silence. Egin currently plays drums in And Always, and a couple of us have other unnamed side projects in the works.

Who writes the lyrics/music? Is it collective? 

On Gravity and Grace, I think our songwriting process was conflict driven - we’d all have competing visions for the direction we wanted our songs to take, and the best or sometimes most convincing ideas would win out. On Dénouement we’ve adopted a far more collaborative songwriting approach. Many of the movements were often written together, in the same room. Sometimes someone may have brought a motif, sometimes it might have come together right there. The music of Respire builds ground up - we start with the bones and work from there. We take the time to score out our music so that we can share it with our contributors and make sure there is no unwanted dissonance. Often by the end of our writing process, whole new melodies emerge that become the focus, changing our initial idea of what the song might be.

The lyrics are often a separate endeavour altogether, taken on by Egin.

What subjects do you cover in your lyrics?

Dénouement only started coming into existence after our Europe tour, last July. As a composition, it is a direct reflection of where we were in our lives through the winter of 2017. On November 15th, 2017, Egin checked into an in-patient treatment facility for substance abuse. The following month in rehab really set the stage for where the majority of the lyrics in Dénouement were written - many of the lines come straight from the notebook they kept during their time. As a result, the lyrics are a reflection of early recovery - that first yearning for something better. A product of looking inwards, of radical honesty, radical vulnerability, of coming to terms and searching for closure. Above all else, Dénouement is a record about hope - about desperately wanting to believe that even through our traumas, the crushing burden of regret, shame, and self-hatred - there’s a light still fighting within us all.

Are there any bands that have influenced you?

Our influences are all over the place. We all grew up listening to 90s/00s screamo, which is the main common thread that binds us together, but we draw from genres as varied as post-rock, indie, metalcore, classical, black metal, shoegaze, and hardcore. Here’s a list of ten records that influenced the writing of Dénouement: http://www.invisibleoranges.com/respire-influences/

What are your favourite albums/EPs at the moment?

Some cool new stuff we’re playing at the moment includes Massa Nera, Shallov, Ostraca, Nevasca, Øjne, Ghost Spirit, Cassus, and Sans Visage.

What is your favourite gig/tour story?

After a show in Solingen, Germany, we decided we wanted to go swimming, and our friend Marta knew of a “pool” somewhere nearby. We hopped a fence, and ended up in carnival on the other side, which was confusing and surprising altogether. We rode a boat across a lake, posed for photos with some garden gnomes, and even rode in a carousel! That’s until we heard some angry yelling and barking, and ran out as fast as we could - only to realize that Rohan had left his bag behind. When we returned to retrieve our bag, we were confronted by a guy with a gigantic dog and a sword (yes, a sword). Luckily, Marta talked us out a sticky situation, and the guy was cool enough to invite us to indulge in our original purpose - to go swimming in their pool!

What is your local heavy/punk scene like and who should we check out (band-wise)?

Toronto is in what feels like the midst of a DIY renaissance at the moment and there’s lots of cool new bands popping up. Two members of our family, Egin and Rohan, currently run New Friends DIY with our good friends from local hardcore band Digest, Vanessa and Nicolas, in an effort to grow our little scene, bridge gaps with DIY communities around the world, and flourish an environment that can be seen as an alternative to the state of arts/culture in Toronto - something communal and shared, co-owned and co-operated - something worth fighting for. Our friends play in bands such as Digest, Life in Vacuum, Terry Green, Growing Fins, Tower of Silence, BOG, Lilim, Iris, Chris, Stresser, And Always and Nanette.  

What are your favourite tipples?

Our tastes range from PBR to craft IPAs. We’re all pretty excited about touring Europe again however, where we can drink lots of warm local lager, pfeffi, absinthe, and of course - Club Mate.

"Dénouement" is now available to stream and order on vinyl, tape or via digital download from Respire's bandcamp page below:-

Respire - https://www.facebook.com/respirefamily/

You can also pick it up from the labels that helped to release it below:-

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

Middle-Man Records - http://middlemanrecords.storenvy.com/

Narshardaa Records - https://narshardaa.bigcartel.com/product/

Zegema Beach Records - http://zegemabeachrecords.storenvy.com/