Wendigo - Heresy

Labels: NitroAtmosfericum Records

Formats: CD

Release Date: 10 Feb 2021

1. To Evil Enemies

2. Revelation

3. On The Blade Of Destiny!

4. The Pit Of Your Nightmares

5. Descended...

I'm still suffering from sporadic writer's block, so please forgive me if things are still a little slow for a few days. I'm testing the notion that I might almost be over it with a review of another release I received earlier this year, as part of a package from Russian label NitroAtmosfericum Records and longtime blog supporter SiN. SiN is otherwise known for the ambient black metal band Astarium, but here he reappear's in Wendigo, a band that veers off in a more grunge/punk/alternative direction. Heresy is the band's second release and it was put onto cd back in February. Also I need to mention that everything on here is in Russian, so I've had to use Google Translate for the song titles. I hope they're correct, but please let me know if not.

As with Astarium, much of Wendigo’s music is captured using synths and midi instruments but it’s very skilfully done. EP opener ‘To Evil Enemies’ is very up-tempo and catchy, with the odd bit of heaviness thrown in as well. Sometimes, the recording does seem to break up/skip in places and I can’t quite figure it out if that’s a defect with this cd or with the release overall. Thankfully, it’s minimal though and doesn’t effect your enjoyment too much.

‘Revelation’ is a lot more menacing in it’s tone and even the clean vocals add to that feeling. This is definitely one to file under alternative, as in truth it will only appeal to those who like truly alternative music and those not afraid to take a punt every now and then. I’ve got a lot of respect for the work that SiN has done over the years, as he’s doing something I would never have the guts to do so I can’t sit here and criticise it.

I do like how Wendigo keeps this music very true to it’s Russian homeland, not taking on more familiar Western influences. ‘On The Blade Of Destiny!’ is another up-tempo song that features cleverly programmed drums with pretty organic sounding bass and guitar work too. The vocals once again are clean, sometimes almost delivered as spoken-word. More extreme vocal patterns do emerge at times, but they are few and far between. In fact, I don’t recall the self-titled EP having this kind of crossover of styles.

There’s more of a minimalistic approach to penultimate song ‘’The Pit Of Your Nightmares’, which given it’s title, is definitely darker. It’s has a post-punk/industrial feel and despite it’s longer playing time, it doesn’t overstay it’s welcome at all. EP closer ‘Descended…’ continues in the way it’s predecessor finished. It seems to go by in a flash too.

Heresy is pretty varied overall. Wendigo doesn’t stick to one formula, choosing to mix faster songs with slow ones, upbeat music with gloomier tones. With alternative music being so broad in style and delivery, this is definitely worth a listen. It looks like Wendigo will be a very productive band going forwards.

This release isn't streaming online. I think it's about time NitroAtmosfericum Records created their own Bandcamp page so that more people can hear releases like this, but that's just my opinion.

Physical CD copies can be purchased here - http://www.nitroatmosfericum.ru/eng/

NitroAtmosfericum Records - https://www.facebook.com/nitroatmosfericum

Wanderlust - Promo 2021

Labels: Self-Released

Formats: Digital

Release Date: 13 Feb 2021

Tracklist:

1. Burn Into Ashes

2. Time And Pressure

Things have been a little quiet this week on the writing front but I wanted to re-connect with my deep-dive into punk of all kinds. For this review I did nothing more scientific than heading over to Bandcamp, hitting the punk tag and checking out the newcomers section. Indonesian hardcore punk band Wanderlust was pretty much the first band I came to. They are a quartet that formed in 2016 in Tulungagung, East Java. So far, they've released a self-titled two song EP (2016) and a full-length called 'No Guts No Glory' (2018), which was released with the help of Hit And Burn Records and Samstrong Records. Their latest two-track promo was released just yesterday!

I love checking out punk from different countries/cultures and Wanderlust’s take on hardcore punk is a surprise. Their sound is really crisp with a mix of influences ranging from Agnostic Front/Youth Of Today to Foundation/Expire, with some Alice In Chains-style clean singing thrown in for good measure on ‘Burn Into Ashes’. The production is really strong and clear, and the instrumentation/vocals equally so.

Second song ‘Time And Pressure’ is more of the same with moshable tempos, gang vocals and heavy thrash/beatdown growls at times. Wanderlust’s creativity and skill has completely blown me away here and it just proves that taking a punt on something new more often than not pays off. 

Being only two tracks long, this promo does exactly what Wanderlust has set out to do, which is to give new and existing listeners something that they can get hooked on. It gives people a reason to check out their earlier material and a reason to get excited about hardcore again. Excellent! 

You can stream and purchase this promo digitally for $2 below:-

There's no sign of a physical version of this release yet, but after hearing it I'm sure somebody will jump on it!

Wanderlust - @wanderlusthardcore (Instagram)

Twin God - Deaths

Labels: Nefarious Industries

Formats: Digital

Release Date: 25 Sep 2020

Tracklist:

1. Animate (Death Of The Creature)

2. You And I (Death Of The Twin)

I'm grouchy because I have no TV signal. Thankfully, no TV means no distractions and writing about/listening to some noisy music will help with my irritable mood. Or maybe it's because the weekend's nearly over and I have to go back to work tomorrow. I don't know. Anyway, this release is something I came across when going through some unread e-mails yesterday. Deaths is a digital release by New Jersey, USA noise rock trio Twin God, which was released via Nefarious Industries in September. I can get down with any music where the vocals were recorded in a Honda CRV!

You know when you listen to something and you go “why haven’t I heard this band before?” That’s exactly what popped into my head when the progressive metallic riffs of EP opener ‘Animate (Death Of The Creature’ started rolling out of the speakers. Twin God plays a brand of noisy, heavy rock that rests in various camps musically, from heavy progressive metal, to sludge/psych, maybe some grunge and whatever it is that makes Couch Slut so endearing. Needless to say it’s awesome. The riffs set the tone, the percussive time-signatures groove steady for the most part before turning all stop/start, while the vocals are shouted yet the lyrics are audible.

Second song ‘You And I (Death Of The Twin)’ is quite harrowing. It’s tempo is slower and there’s a real sense of loss hidden in the depths amongst Twin God’s musical stew. As with the first song, it’s played with great precision and skill, which may be a strange thing to say about a noise rock band but it’s true. It gets lighter as well during the mid-section, when things go in an instrumental direction with some great prog guitar work and solos. Overall it twists and turns, going from dark to light and back to dark again. 

Recording-wise, it’s warm and alive. I can see why Nefarious Industries have helped to bring it to a wider audience. Hopefully, there will be a physical version on Deaths released at some point in the future. Twin God deserves it.

You can stream and download Deaths via Twin God's Bandcamp page below:-

Twin God - https://www.facebook.com/twingodmusic/

It's also available from Nefarious Industries here - https://shop.nefariousindustries.com/

Nefarious Industries - https://www.facebook.com/NefariousIndustries/

Wendigo - Wendigo

Labels: Nitroatmosfericum Records

Formats: CD

Release Date: 04 Jan 2020

Tracklist:

1. Wendigo

2. Agony Of A Dream

3. Rebirth And Death

4. No Regrets...

As I've progressed further with this blog over the years, I've discovered many solo-projects that (often) are better than fully fledged bands. I've also trodden with caution though. Sometimes, solo projects do not live up to their billing. This evening's review focuses on a Russian grunge/punk solo project called Wendigo, that is the brainchild of SiN from Astarium, an atmospheric black metal band I've featured many times and one that I greatly respect. This time, as mentioned above, SiN has decided to turn his hand at something different. This EP was released earlier this year via Nitroatmosfericum Records. The release is entirely in Russian so I've had to employ the services of Google Translate to figure out the song titles. I apologise if they're incorrect, please inform me if so.

I’m really not sure what to expect from this CD but here goes. After a dare-I-say-it Metallica-esque intro, opener ‘Wendigo’ turns into an entertaining punk song with good use of synth melody and programmed drums coupled with the buzzing guitar that’s familiar to you if you’re a fan of Astarium. It’s upbeat for sure. ‘Agony Of A Dream’ is much more atmospheric and mid-paced, lending itself well to the grunge influence that Wendigo’s going for. The clean vocals pay close attention to the sub-genres greats, while the music retains it’s own style as opposed to merely copying. There’s a gloomy feel that’s very apt for this time of year as well.

I don’t really know much about current popular Russian music but I’d imagine it sounds a bit like that of ‘Rebirth And Death’. I think it’s the upbeat nature of the song, with it’s polka-like beats and urgency that makes me say that. I don’t mean to sound ignorant here and apologise If that’s how I come across.  I’m glad that final song ‘No Regrets…’ isn’t a poorly conceived cover of the song by Robbie Williams. Instead Wendigo injects some joviality into this original track and even though it’s less punchy than other songs on here, it’s still got charm and quality.

I’ll be honest, this EP isn’t for everyone. That being said, it’s not a bad release by any means. If you (unlike me) speak or understand Russian, you’ll definitely get more pleasure from it. It’s interesting to here SiN venturing away from black metal but I think I prefer Astarium if I have to choose. 

Wendigo has no social media presence as far as I know. If you want to take a chance on this release, you can purchase it from Nitroatmosfericum Records here - http://nitroatmosfericum.ru/eng/.

Nitroatmosfericum Records - https://www.facebook.com/nitroatmosfericum/

ỤBỤRỤ - Death & Decay

Labels: Self-Released

Formats: Digital

Release Date: 15 May 2019

Tracklist:

1. HSPC

2. Rotting Flesh

3. Shaman

4. Tatters

5. The Butcher

6. The Void Of Oblivion

Yesterday, I was given the opportunity to be one of the first people (outside of ỤBỤRỤ themselves) to hear their first demo, essentially. This trio is a brand new heavy band from Leeds who're just beginning to make their first steps into the UK underground and indeed the live scene. Read on to see what I had to say about their songs...

The mysterious entity known as ỤBỤRỤ contacted me about writing something a bit different. It (or they) presented me with six live demo recordings. Not knowing whose in the band or where it’s from, I pressed play. What greeted me was heavy, groovy noise with bags of sludge on first track HSPC. 

Experimentation is clearly at the top of the musical list, as Rotting Flesh is an off-kilter doom song that doesn’t sound like the title would suggest. Imagine if Meth Drinker worshipped at the alter of old-school death metal and instrumental noise-rock, you’d be close to summing ỤBỤRỤ up. The more I listen to this, the more I begin to picture the miscreants that might be responsible for the noise herein, but there’s no harm in being kept guessing at the same time.

Shaman is a hard one to pin down. Black metal, sludgy metalcore-like breakdowns and bluesy bass-lines are all at play. The vocals are deep bellows that will carve deep into your soul. Forgive me if I’m plucking all the sub-genres out of the sky but this is hard to categorise. It’s very good. There’s a swagger about Tatters but that’s due to the band trying to fit more into less. It’s a shorter song and it chugs along nicely with a heap of dissonance and time-signatures that seem impervious to the norm.

ỤBỤRỤ does a slow once more on The Butcher, which has atmosphere flowing from every orifice. Passages that switch between psych/doom and cymbal-led death blasts with improvisation everywhere you turn. Last demo song The Void Of Oblivion is another murky bottom-feeder. Over seven-minutes of raw and progressive madness turned down to half speed. 

There’s an obvious focus throughout this and all of the songs presented here, and while this may be the first utterances from a band just born, I have a feeling that we’ll be hearing lots more from ỤBỤRỤ very soon.

You can stream all of the songs here via Soundcloud below:-

Keep up to date with ỤBỤRỤ's progression and live show announcements via their Facebook page here - https://www.facebook.com/uburuBand/

A-Tota-So - Self-Titled

Labels: Lonely Voyage Records/Buttonpusher/Circuit Sweet

Formats: VinylCD/Digital

Release Date: 17 Sep 2018

Tracklist:

1. Black Market Broccoli

2. Tea Leaf

3. Double Deaf

4. Notionology

5. Acer

6. Long Run

7. Box-Elder

8. Future Finger

9. Clever Liver

Monday of this week brought us the debut album from East Midland math-rock band A-Tota-So. This release has been two years in the making yet even before it's release, the trio scored a slot at ArcTanGent and toured the UK with British instrumental trio Chiyoda Ku. The band got together when their other bands Alright The Captain and Cheap Jazz decided to take a break.

A-Tota-So’s math-rock is filled to the brim with instrumental loveliness straight from the moment you press play. The bizarrely titled opener Black Market Broccoli flits between calm mid-paced tempos and the odd noisy, layered passage that makes everything sound truly cinematic. While that first song was considerably upbeat, the feeling you get from Tea Leaf is a mixture of confusion and of being on-edge, due to it’s time-signatures that are all over the place and the dissonant riffs that explode at points throughout. It is a heavy number, that’s for sure. Double Deaf carries on in the same vein and the title is very apt as it’s loud with a really bass-heavy tone.

A-Tota-So mix grunge and post-rock elements into their music quite often and you can hear some of those elements on Notionology. The quieter moments are very introspective and there’s even room at for cracking guitar-work that sounds like it was taken from metal’s top drawer. As with the rest of the album, it’s all kept in check by the drumming, which presents the time-shifting heartbeat of the album. The way this album flows from one song to the next is impressive too and before you know it, the soothing tones of Acer are wringing out. 

I have to admit that sitting here with the wind gusting outside, listening to this album with a glass of red wine is making me feel a little smug. Not in a pretentious way though, but just because it’s a great way to unwind and the urgency of Long Run is more life-affirming than it is face-smashing. The trio ups the volume again on Box-Elder, which is remarkably powerful and shines a light on the incredibly recording/mixing/mastering that were done by Pete at NWFA Studios and Rich at Snug Recoding Co. respectively. 

Penultimate song Future Finger has been put here to hypnotise you with repeated riffs and movements. Closer Clever Liver catches the band’s experimental nature and deft musicianship one last time, just to ensure that their sound gets buried deep within your head. This is a great album and another reason why Britain continues to lead the way when it comes to experimental and instrumental math/post-rock.

You can stream A-Tota-So's debut album below:-

It's available to purchase now on vinyl, cd and digitally.

A-Tota-So - https://www.facebook.com/atotaso/

You can also purchase it from the below labels:-

Lonely Voyage Records - https://lonelyvoyagerecords.bandcamp.com/merch

Circuit Sweet - https://circuitsweet.bigcartel.com

Lonely Voyage Records - https://www.facebook.com/lonelyvoyage

Buttonpusher - https://www.facebook.com/buttonpusherbookings

Circuit Sweet - https://www.facebook.com/circuitsweet/

Soul Attrition - Vashon Rain

Labels: Self-Released

Formats: Digital

Release Date: 13 Jul 2018

Tracklist:

1. Sinking

2. Thirteen

3. Remission

4. Fatal Flaw

5. Vashon Rain

6. Unexpected Affront

7. Euclid

This is the first time I've managed to write reviews on successive nights (I think) for a little while now and it feels good. This one feature an early listen to another record that's due out in July. Chicago's Soul Attrition is the solo-project of Escape Is Not Freedom bassist Josh Parlette, who kindly got in touch with me following my earlier review of the Escape Is Not Freedom/Dusk Village split from January. Soul Attrition is described as a post-metal/sludge/experimental band with Josh's influences ranging from Nirvana to Type O Negative and Thou to Godflesh (amongst others).

Solo-projects are usually the preserve of black metal (at least in my experience), so Soul Attrition is a welcome surprise. Album opener Sinking is gloomy and the Type O Negative influence is definitely there in the vocals. The music is heavier, but also melodic in a similar way to grunge. There’s also an industrial side to the instrumentation that pokes through when it’s at it’s fullest. So far so good then. Thirteen is equally as heavy thanks to the continuous driving riffs. They create a lot of atmosphere though and Josh’s singing is akin to the clean vocals of Chino Moreno. 

Remission sees Soul Attrition moving in a different direction, following the two previous songs and slowing things down a tad. The music isn’t layered with as much guitar noise initially and what guitar there is, sounds really calming. The vocals remind me a little of Brian Molko at times too. It’s not long before the music takes a heavier turn again, though you can be safe in the knowledge that it’s not going to go too extreme. It’s a glorious song that’s easy to get lost in, which is what I did during it’s second half. The audible shouted vocals that are present throughout the album are a nice touch and won’t frighten non-metal lovers away. They’re used well on Fatal Flaw when the volume increases in what I guess is the chorus (of sorts?). Soul Attrition also ends the song with a ridiculously good passage of post-black metal guitar work that kills it.

It’s difficult to underestimate the old-school influence on “Vashon Rain” and the title-track’s instrumental refrain adds an element of that. The album is also pretty expansive and it deserves the progressive tag it’s been given. The songs are lengthy at times but no too long that your attention wanes. Penultimate song Unexpected Affront is one that builds on the dynamic of anticipation followed by explosion. Everything sill leans heavily towards grunge/alternative soundscapes but they’re done brilliantly and don’t just sound like rehashed. Euclid closes it all out in suitably moody fashion, matching the atmosphere of the album opener while seemingly being more depressive (if that’s the right descriptor) thanks to it’s tempo.

You can stream Fatal Flaw prior to the album's release date here:-

Soul Attrition - https://www.facebook.com/soulattrition/

Escape Is Not Freedom/Dusk Village - Split

Labels: Self-Released

Formats: Tape/Digital

Release Date: 23rd Feb 2018

Tracklist:

1. Escape Is Not Freedom - Boiling Nails

2. Escape Is Not Freedom - We're Wrecked

3. Dusk Village - Exolife Civilization Leak

4. Dusk Village - A Self-Fan

Noise-rock and the USA are very familiar bedfellows, as you'll probably know. From Nirvana and The  Melvins carving out a space in modern music history for grunge, to the more obscure yet ultimately prolific bands like Unsane and These Arms Are Snakes (as well as countless others), there's always been exciting music bubbling under the surface. Cue two new acts in the form of Escape Is Not Freedom and Dusk Village. Both bands feature members from some already established (and heavy) US bands including Arctic Sleep and Rabies Caste, and this split tape features debut recordings from both. It's due for release on February 23rd. 

Escape Is Not Freedom takes you on a trip that gathers together grunge, noisy driving rock and  elements that might remind you of Deftones (perhaps). The trio creates a really punishing wall of noise with the guitars and drums sounding almost industrial at times. There is some melody deep in the mix but the vocals mask that with megaphone-like volume on opener Boiling Nails. Their second song We’re Wrecked is more laid back initially and the added vocals provided by Emily Jancetic provide an entirely new perspective on EINF’s music. It’s a clever opposite to the brashness of Boiling Nails yet it too serves up it’s own harsh atmosphere. Their music takes you back to generation of bands and a sound that's gradually being eaten away by increased technicality and clinical recordings techniques. 

Dusk Village's description of playing “metal but not for metalheads” is an apt one, as they embark on Exolife Civilization Leak. It contains doom/sludge instrumentation and low deep bellows that are akin to black metal vocals. That’s not a surprise given the band’s affiliation to Tangorodrim but Dusk Village definitely has it’s own personality. Again a trio that manages to produce deafening volume. A Self-Fan is like a different song altogether with a proper garage/surf-rock vibe going on and an off-kilter tempo that adds energy and urgency to it. Dusk Village (like EINF) manages to put together two very different sounding songs that still sit well together and are proof that experimentation and variation are very good things.

This split may be one of the most left-field releases you hear this year, but over and above that it’s exciting to hear two bands that clearly enjoy creating great music as much as playing it. I hope both Escape Is Not Freedom and Dusk Village stick around for a while yet, as they’ll be very much welcomed.

You can stream EINF's "Boiling Nails" and Dusk Village's "Exolife Civilization Leak" below:-

You can currently pre-order the tape version from EINF's bandcamp page above.

Escape Is Not Freedom - https://www.facebook.com/EscapeisnotFreedom/

Dusk Village - https://www.facebook.com/dusK.Village/