Inosuke - Allomancer

Labels: Dancing Rabbit Records/Dingleberry Records/Friendly Otter/HellaDecentRecords/New Knee Records/Oliver Glenn Records/Zegema Beach Records

Formats: Vinyl/Digital

Release Date: 03 Nov 2025

Tracklist:

1. a thousand years of ash and mist

2. the well

3. god metal

4. braving the new world

5. catacendre

I first discovered US doom/screamo duo Inosuke back in late 2023 thanks to Zegema Beach Records and reviewed their debut LP rage/ruin in January of last year. They released their newest EP 'Allomancer' in November and kindly got in touch to let me know about it. They must know that I really appreciate bands who release music on a regular (annual) basis. Once again ZBR had a hand in this EP's release, alongside the other excellent DIY labels mentioned above.

Even before I hit play on this EP, I have to call out the amazing artwork by Martin McCoy (alongside the layout by Matt Quietsch) It’s so striking, especially with the autumnal colours. EP opener ‘a thousand years of ash and mist’ sounds way doomier than anything that was on rage/ruin to me, and a lot more off-kilter too. Inosuke as a duo work so hard to create a huge soundstage when they’re in full chat. When they quieten down, the atmosphere that takes hold is equally as big.

It’s often astounding how a band’s song-writing and creativity can be translated musically. From percussion to guitar and piano to vocals, Inosuke grow with every bar. ‘the well’ is less than half the length of Allomancer’s opener yet it’s instrumental twists and turns make it feel just as long, as the semi spoken-word/screamed vocals join in during it’s latter-half. They remind me of somebody else in their delivery, but I can’t remember who right now (it’ll probably come to me in the middle of the night!).

I genuinely hope that ‘god metal’ is a humorous swipe at religion in metal. All I know though, as the piano-led instrumentation gets louder and the vocals get harsher, is that it’s a subtle angst-laden song that doesn’t outstay it’s welcome.

Penultimate song ‘braving the new world’ sees Inosuke retreating to a doomier position stylistically and I’m all for it. The riffs of Jason Kallicragas are excellent, while the drumming of Erik Anderson is truly pummelling at its most manic. Equally, Jason’s vocals (as I’ve already said) are vicious but also audible, which is rare. Erik’s recording and Jack Shirley’s mix/mastering helps to bring it all to life too.

Ending with ‘catacendre’, Inosuke move in an orchestral direction once again. This time, it’s solely the piano that leads with ambient sounds underneath. It’s a lovely way to end this EP. Inosuke have managed to chart their own path through the ever-growing tundra that’s made up of every band that’s vying for your attention ever! If you’re a fan of heavy screamo music or you’re just screamo-curious (sorry!), this is the release you should listen to next.

You can stream and purchase Allomancer digitally from Inosuke below:-

Inosuke - https://www.facebook.com/inosukeband

You can still grab physical copies from the labels below:-

New Knee Records - https://inosuke-knr.bandcamp.com/album/allomancer

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

Dancing Rabbit Records - https://www.instagram.com/dancingrabbitrec/

Dingleberry Records - https://www.facebook.com/DingleberryRecords

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

New Knee Records - https://www.instagram.com/newkneerecords/

Oliver Glenn Records - https://www.instagram.com/oliverglennrecords/

Zegema Beach Records - https://bsky.app/profile/zegemabeachrecords.bsky.social

Chivàla - Boato

Labels: Fireflies Fall/Friendly Otter/No Funeral Records/Pike Records/Shove Records/Stonehenge Records/Through Love Records/Zilpzalp Records

Formats: Vinyl/CD/Digital

Release Date: 27 Dec 2024

Tracklist:

1. Oggetto di scena

2. Far tremare il corpo

3. Cuore di pietra

4. Non lascia nulla

5. Non diremo

6. Alla Fine della corsa

7. Rumore di passi

Last month I received an e-mail from Axel (who heads up German DIY label Pike Records) asking if I would like to review the newest record from Italian post-hardcore/screamo band Chivàla. Due to being behind on my e-mails I missed Axel's initial message but I thankfully caught the second one and humbly accepted the offer. Little did I know that Axel's offer would include a physical copy of the record. 

Fast-forward a few weeks and it has arrived. Axel sent me a copy on red vinyl, which has come out great! I've been familiar with Chivàla for quite a while now; so much so that I own a copy of their split with Suirami on tape. I've featured them here a few times before and I'm quietly trying to fill their discography gaps in my collection (amongst a myriad of others).

The sun’s shining, I’m surrounded by records and I have no plans for the rest of the day. I make it time to give this lovely piece of Italian screamo a spin. The cover art catches my eye due to it’s abstract nature. Not sure if that’s as hint to what the music will sound like but I’m about to find out. Opener ‘Oggetto di scena’ sounds a lot more laid-back and melodic than expected; especially the instrumentation. The vocals are a mix of spoken-word/shouted vocals in the verses and semi-cleans/screams later on. All lyrics are in Italian and are beautifully woven into the song. 

It’s beauty that flows through Boato, as ‘Far tremare il corpo’ mixes melody with off-kilter percussion and a take on modern post-hardcore that feels like it’s done a complete 180 degree turn, heading back to the sound of the early 00’s. That was a crossover time for me as I was discovering a lot of punk/core bands and moving slightly away from metal. ‘Cuore di pietra’ highlights the intricacies that exist in Chivàla’s music. I guess alongside countrymen like Ojne and Shizune, I’d place them next to La Dispute purely due to the fact that they do the clean guitar/spoken-word verses so well and when they explode, they do so in a short, controlled manner.

The pattern of following a mid-tempo song with an up-tempo one isn’t a new thing but here it works really well, as ‘Non lascia nulla’ immediately hits top gear. The screams are so passionate and they help to make the instrumental/clean sections sound even better. The latter half of Boato is slightly more precise, yet it comes complete with extra layers, especially during ‘Non diremo’. Subtle atmospheric, almost blackened riffs are added into the mix for a brief period. I guess that’s where Chivàla get their post-rock influence from. Whatever the approach, this is still a fantastic song.

‘Alla fine della corsa’ is the album’s penultimate number and even at this late point in the record, Chivàla’s sound is still as inspiring. The blend of soaring guitar melody, epic low-end/percussion and multi-layered vocals might sound complex though in truth it’s anything but. Everything is perfectly intertwined. Ending with ‘Rumore di passi’ and it’s most beautiful musicianship, I’m in complete ecstasy and in awe of just how good Chivàla are as a complete band. It takes time for any band to truly find their sound, especially when they’re competing with so many others. Given that it’s been a little over six years since their debut EP, I think it’s safe to say that Chivàla have found theirs. If you need more persuasion before listening to this record, you’re in the wrong place.

You can stream and purchase Boato digitally via bandcamp below:-

You can also get physical CD/Vinyl copies from Chivàla above.

Chivàla - https://www.facebook.com/chivalaband

Physical copies are also available from the labels below:-

Fireflies Fall - https://firefliesfall.com/product-category/releases/ 

No Funeral Records - https://store.nofuneral.ca/collections/no-funeral-vinyl

Pike Records - https://www.pikerecords.com/releases/

Shove Records - https://shoverec.bandcamp.com/merch

Stonehenge Records - https://www.stonehengerecords.com/?orderby=alphabetical

Through Love Records - https://shop.throughloverec.com/collections/releases

Fireflies Fall - https://www.facebook.com/firefliesfall

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

No Funeral Records - https://www.facebook.com/nofuneral8

Pike Records - https://www.facebook.com/pikercrds

Shove Records - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100062967532917

Stonehenge Records - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100053696468870

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

Zilpzalp Records - https://www.facebook.com/zilpzalpdiy

Also, I'd really appreciate it if you could take a few short seconds to answer the survey I currently have running here - http://www.thisnoiseisours.com/2025/03/subscription-consultation.html. Thanks in advance.

The Ultimate Screamo Band - Tout Est Fini

Labels: A Fond d'Cale/Dingleberry Records/Dasein Records/Friendly Otter/Polar Summer/Sunsetter Records/Ultimo Violence/Zegema Beach Records

Formats: Vinyl/Digital

Release Date: 26 Feb 2018

Tracklist:

1. Tout Est Fini

2. Thanatophobe

3. En Consequence

4. Un Cri de Défaite

5. Combien

6. Téméraire Et Timoré

7. D'enfant Fragile

8. Ne Change Rein

9. A L'article de L'amour

10. Inconditionnel Passe

Having previously reviewed both the 2015 7"/Tape EP La Saison Du Champignon and the 2017 split 7" with Lora as part part of my ongoing ZBR roster review series, I was eventually going to come up to The Ultimate Screamo Band's 2018 (and final) release Tout Est Fini, that was pressed as a single-sided 10" record in February 2018. Released through the collaboration of 8 DIY record labels, it was limited to 300 copies featuring 3 differently coloured covers. 10 emoviolence songs on one side of wax. Perfect.

Being able to keep up with and review a record where most of the songs last less than sixty seconds is tough. Tout Est Fini is made up of exactly that, starting with the title track ‘Tout Est Fini’, which features a lengthy sample leading to a latter half that’s filled with brief but chaotic emoviolence, that set’s the stall out for this release. ‘Thanatophobe’ starts as it’s predecessor finished but with a more post-hardcore/metal vibe.

In fact, all of the songs here make up one whole and ‘En Consequence’ shows TUSB’s song-writing to be more than just maddening screamo, as it features more sensitive musical elements and a slightly calmer influence as a result. ‘Un Cri de Défaite’ is a varied listen with fast/slow dynamics working really well. TUSB must be considered champions of the French-Canadian screamo community and if they’re not, it’s a travesty.

The sheer moments of beauty that flow from this record are subtle but brilliant, as evidenced on ‘Combien’ with it’s almost Coilguns/Knut/The Ocean post-metal riffage that seems to almost slow the tempo down, without actually doing so. Being followed up by the no-holds-barred ’Téméraire Et Timoré’, it feels like a world away.

The record’s shortest song blends into it’s longest song and with that, ‘D’enfant Fragile’ is a fuzzy guitar instrumental that bursts into a furious explosion of raw energy from the band. It exhibits their true love of anticipation inducing build-ups, which has been there all along to be honest and is used one again on ‘Ne Change RIen’ to accent the latter halves madness.

Penultimate song ‘A L'article de L'amour’ is more straight-forward in that it hits hard a lot sooner, though TUSB’s off-kilter hardcore approach later on brings about a beaming smile that lasts into closer ‘Inconditionnel Passe’ thanks to the repeated riff that bridges the two. It’s a dramatic way to end but also a true showing of the band’s ability to generate atmosphere and emotion. 

There you have it, the final release from The Ultimate Screamo Band (probably). It would have been amazing to hear the band go in a more expansive direction, but that’s just me talking. What has been left is still and always will be amazing.

You can stream Tout Est Fini and purchase it as a name-your-price download below:-

Physical copies can still be purchased from the below link:-

Sunsetter Records - https://sunsetterrecords.limitedrun.com/the-ultimate-screamo-band-tout-est-fini

Dingleberry Records - https://www.facebook.com/DingleberryRecords

Dasein Records - https://www.facebook.com/SadReactRecords

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

Sunsetter Records - https://www.facebook.com/SunsetterRecords

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

Det Ar Därför Vi Bygger Stader/Mrtex - Split 7"

Labels: Dingleberry Records/Friendly Otter/Samegrey Records/Through Love Records/Wolf Town DIY/Zegema Beach Records

Foermats: Vinyl/Digital

Release Date: 03 Sep 2017

Tracklist:

1. Det Ar Därför Vi Bygger Stader - Jag Ringer Nog Dig Om Allt Gar At Helvete

2. Det Ar Därför Vi Bygger Stader - Nar Du Kom Tillbaka Sa Var All Disk Ren

3. Det Ar Därför Vi Bygger Stader - Akvarell

4. Mrtex - Slapping The General Populace

4. Mrtex - Inhaling Infants

I recently acquired a physical copy of this split, which brings my Zegema Beach Records discography collection to 51 releases (though that is a rough guesstimate). This 7" was released back in late 2017 featuring songs from Sweden's Det Ar Därför Vi Bygger Stader and US/Canadian band Mrtex. 250 copies were pressed in pretty d.i.y fashion, but that's fine as the aesthetic suits it well.

This split is chock full of piercing emoviolence/screamo and Det Ar Därför’s opener ‘Jag Ringer Nog Dig Om Allt Gar At Helvete’ is a rude awakening if you were expecting something more tuneful. The vocals are super high-pitched screams that almost sound a bit comical, but they’re not, as you’ll realise on ‘Nar Du Kom Tillbaka Sa Var All Disk Ren’. I’m sure I’ve said before that I hear a Japanese influence on Det Ar Därför’s music, but I can still hear it in the atmosphere they weave here. Their final song ‘Akvarell’ is more artsy than I remember any of their earlier music to be and it’s fantastic.

Mrtex follow with two songs that sit on the rawer end of the spectrum, while being lengthier and less violent. ’Slapping The General Populace’ makes use of their instrumental ability (as the instrumentation takes most of the slack), while the vocals are more prevalent at both the beginning and the end-ish. ‘Inhaling Infants’ is like a blistering mass of percussive mite and explosive tension. There’s also plenty of beauty in it too.

Recently when I’ve sat down to write these reviews, I’ve been calm and my head’s been somewhat empty, but this evening’s felt a bit different for whatever reason. What it has done is made really appreciate the raw, cathartic energy that went into the songs that appear on this split. I’m a believer in non-violence and pacifism , but I think I could do with laying off higher-tempo releases like this for a little bit.

You can stream and purchase both sides of the split digitally below:-

 

Det Ar Därför Vi Bygger Stader - https://www.facebook.com/vibyggerstader

Mrtex - https://www.facebook.com/mrtexrebellion

Physical copies are still available from the below labels:-

Friendly Otter - https://friendlyotter.bandcamp.com/album/fo-86-split-7

Through Love Records - https://shop.throughloverec.com/collections/releases/products/det-ar-darfor-vi-bygger-stader-mrtex-split-ep

Zegema Beach Records - CAN/INTL - http://www.zegemabeachrecords.com/zegema-beach-releases/detar-mrtex

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

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

Samegrey Records - https://www.facebook.com/samegrey

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

Wolf Town DIY - https://www.facebook.com/WolfTownDiy

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

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

People's Temple Project/Мятеж - Split 7"

Labels: Akashita Corp/Dingleberry Records/Friendly Otter Records/IFB Records/Upwind Productions/Wolf Town DIY/Zegema Beach Records

Formats: Vinyl/Digital

Release Date: 21 Nov 2015

Tracklist:

1. People's Temple Project - 1

2. People's Temple Project - 2

3. People's Temple Project - 3

4. Мятеж - Stunning Advancements In Revolution

5. Мятеж - Awake/End

Everybody's complaining that it's too hot here. As soon as gets over twenty degrees celsius, we start melting. Thankfully, it's not too bad this evening and I've got all the windows open, so my neighbours are gonna love it when I hit play on this glorious split 7". I'm continuing my ZBR review series with the split featuring US band People's Temple Project and joint US/CAN band Мятеж. If you're familiar with ZBR then you'll be familiar with both of these bands. Released on 340 copies of black wax in November 2015, it contains five tracks in total and was jointly released by several labels, all whom I've listed above and will link up below (where possible).

Starting with three songs from NYC screamo, flower violence (their words) band People’s Temple Project, you get something that’s jangly yet chaotic and shouty on opener ‘1”. It only just breaches two minutes in length, yet musically you get sudden blasts of emo-violence stowed away alongside more thoughtful and cinematic passages, where guitars and percussion sound both far apart but also really cohesive, while the vocals are used more sparingly but very effectively, thanks to their power.

‘2’ has such a nice tone to it. A twinkly guitar tone that gets a little swallowed up by the full band at the mid-point and lurches into an instrumental (at least I think it’s instrumental, though there may be subtle humming going on too), that’s really pleasant to listen to and isn’t as heavy as you might think. The heaviness is left for the rawness of ‘3’, with it’s raucous multi-vocal approach and subtle blackened screamo that makes up the first sixty seconds before an interlude of gentle guitar/percussion takes over. The musicality on show from People’s Temple Project in this song alone is worth obsessing over and it rounds out their side of this split in perfect fashion.

Мятеж steps on the loud pedal immediately with their opener ‘Stunning Advancements In Revolution’. There’s an angrier and more intense feeling going on here, with a lot more hardcore/emo-violence too. It’s hard to explain because they also have some great post-hardcore riffs that bring to mind bands like Alexisonfire and Moneen (to me anyway). That comparison is slightly apt maybe due to the Canadian connection. Мятеж’s final song ‘Awake/End’ is a slower number but is still filled with emotion. Emotion that threatens to burst right over the top, but that never does, leaving something quite beautiful in it’s wake. 

It’s really hard not to compare one band to the other on split releases like this, but inevitably it always happens. Both People’s Temple Project and Мятеж have their own takes on the genre/sub-genre here and even though this release is pretty short, it will bring a smile to your face and a warmth to your heart. 

Stream and purchase the split digitally here:-

People's Temple Project - https://www.facebook.com/PeoplesTempleProject

Мятеж - https://www.facebook.com/mrtexrebellion

Physical copies can be purchased via the labels below:-

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

Akashita Corp - https://www.facebook.com/AkashitaCorp

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

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

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

Upwind Productions - https://www.facebook.com/upwindisdead

Wolf Town DIY - https://www.facebook.com/WolfTownDiy

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

Nionde Plagan - Frustration

Labels: Dingleberry Records/Epileptic Media/Friendly Otter/Let Them Die Records/Moment Of Collapse Records/Through Love Records/Unlock Yourself Records/Upwind Productions/Zegema Beach Records

Formats: Vinyl/CD/Tape/Digital

Release Date: 30 Oct 2015

Tracklist:-

1. Letargi

2. Oandligt

3. Van, I Forodelsens Stund?

4. Orkeslos

5. [mellanspel]

6. Nar Smafaglar Dor

7. Vida Horisonter

8. Samhorighet

9. Revolt

10. Leva Eller Do

It's been another chunk of time since I wrote one of these ZBR roster reviews. Time if flying and I've been in a state of flux recently, mainly down to work and lockdown fatigue. I'm trying to gee myself up though, so let's see how that goes. 'Frustration', the third full-length release from Swedish post-hardcore band Nionde Plagan was released in October of 2015. It was released on various formats with both Friendly Otter and Dingleberry Records putting it on tape, Moment Of Collapse releasing the cd version and a vinyl pressing coming from a huge collaboration of labels, featuring Dingleberry Records, Epileptic Media, Friendly Otter, Let Them Die Records, Through Love Records, Unlock Yourself Records, Upwind Productions and of course, Zegema Beach Records (info taken from Discogs, please inform me of any inaccuracies). 

As post-hardcore goes, Nionde Plagan’s stands out amongst the heaviest. The screams on opening song ‘Letargi’ are fierce, while the melody of the guitars seem at odds with how heavy and crushing they are. The percussion holds up well deeper in the mix, with cymbal crashes being the overriding layer. The abrupt ending to what is a cinematic intro song really sets the tone here.

‘Oandligt’ expands on NP’s sound, adding more melody and a signature Swedish sense of tone and song-writing, which brings to mind some of the country’s best known modern heavy bands, like Dark Tranquility, in the instrumentation sense anyway. It’s a truly expressive song that becomes hypnotic as it eventually fades out in slow and dramatic fashion.

The cross pollination of screamo and black metal in recent years has been much the same as any other union of sounds, but it seems as though NP might have been early-adopters in a sense. The high/low pitched screams on ‘Van, I Forodelsens Stund?’ certainly prove that. Now I know that name-dropping so many sub-genres can be boring, but there are certain reference points within them that I find comforting when writing. Needless to say, there’s much more to Nionde Plagan’s sound than comparing it to other forms of heavy music.

It’s becoming increasingly common for me to take a couple of days to write a review now. Usually, I can write one and publish it within a couple of hours but sometimes it takes longer. Not because the album in question isn’t grabbing me, but because I don’t feel I can do it justice in one sitting. I think Frustration is one of those albums. ‘Orkeslos’ takes the crown of being the album’s lengthiest song and it epitomises the atmospheric, almost-blackened post-hardcore/metal approach of Nionde Plagan. It is instrumental for a large amount of it’s running time, with melody being used more subtly, in turn making it a lot darker.

‘Orkeslos’ is followed by a calming, sample-led song called ‘[mellanspel]’, which draws a line between the album’s two halves. It’s simple and relaxing. After a very short pause, ‘Nav Smafaglar Dor’ drives out of the speakers with it’s earthy post-rock riffing and more considered percussive rhythms. The screams are still hoarse and powerful. Considering the volume of Swedish bands that ZBR worked with prior to this release, it’s immense how unique they all were. ‘Vida Horisonter’ brings the tone/feel that’s present in Envy’s sound, that feeling of anticipation and the release that grabs your attention. 

There’s such a driving intensity about Frustration that it feels as though all of the songs on it could have just been woven into one long song and they would have still sounded perfectly balanced, and in place. ‘Samhorighet’ hypnotises you with repeating riffs throughout, only changing at points and into other sections. The melody layered over the top provides a great soundscape when sitting alongside the more distant screams of the song’s latter half and it ends abruptly, in startling fashion, giving way to penultimate song ‘Revolt’. ‘Revolt’ feels more frantic with emoviolence-esque urgency. It still captures NP’s formula but in a more intense way.

Final track ‘Leva Eller Do’ feels like a properly fitting conclusion to the album. It doesn’t divert from NP’s overall sound too much. Instead, it builds on it in a way that feels much more climactic and free. Chances are, you’re probably already more than familiar with this release given that it’s now over five years old, so I’m no doubt preaching to the converted. If you’re not though and you like your screamo on the heavier side, Frustration still holds up really well and is worth your time. Track a copy down if you can!

You can stream and download Frustration directly from Nionde Plagan's bandcamp page below:-

Nionde Plagan - https://www.facebook.com/NiondePlagan

Physical copies ares still available from the labels below:-

Friendly Otter - https://friendlyotter.bandcamp.com/

Let Them Die Records - https://letthemdierecords.bigcartel.com/

Through Love Records - https://shop.throughloverec.com/

Zegema Beach Records - CAN/INTL - http://www.zegemabeachrecords.com/

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

Epileptic Media - https://www.facebook.com/epilepticmedia

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

Let The Die Records - https://www.facebook.com/letthemdierecords

Moment Of Collapse Records - https://www.facebook.com/momentofcollapse

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

Unlock Yourself Records - https://www.facebook.com/unlockyourselfrecords

Upwind Production - https://www.facebook.com/upwindisdead

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