Coma Regalia - Vau Faelgoh

Labels: Convulse Records/I.Corrupt Records/Listen To Aylin Records/Middle-Man Records/Pundonor Records/Zegema Beach Records

Formats: Vinyl/Tape/Digital

Release Date: 03 May 2019

Tracklist:

1. Deimaestus

2. Eaufell

3. Aestheroh

4. Tielasten

5. Hidenskyre

6. Kistleden

7. Indveil

8. Sondaiquai

9. Shulederhau

10. Eivau

11. Daemeron

I think this marks the thirteenth time I've featured a Coma Regalia release on the blog. It's not a big deal really though as CR has something like forty five releases to date. Vau Faelgoh was released back in 2019, having been written and recorded pretty much entirely by Edie. I have no idea how to pronounce the album name nor the song titles, though they could be anything from Latin to Gaelic or even Scandinavian (I don't know). This release was a collaboration between six labels, including Edie's own Middle-Man Records.

I’m just gonna dive straight into this because I don’t know if I’ll get it finished tonight otherwise. Vau Faelgoh starts with ‘Deimaestus’, which is an intensely raw and powerful emo-violence/screamo song. That’s a pretty succinct description but it’s a straight-to-the-point song after all. ‘Eaufell’ is no different from the album’s opener, though it’s interlaced with more straight-up emo instrumentation and atmosphere.

After those initial salvos, ‘Aestheroh’ seems more brooding and stripped-back initially. There’s a heap of off-kilter screamo later on, though it’s slower tempo hits a spot that you didn’t even know needing scratching. It’s glorious. ‘Tielasten’ is one of only two songs on the album that surpasses three minutes. It uses similar song-writing and structure to it’s predecessor but it’s violent beauty is more prevalent also. 

‘Hidenskyre’ takes you back to the breakneck intensity of those first two songs yet there’s a chorus-like feel to this one in parts. It doesn’t last too long but speak volumes anyway. A blisteringly enjoyable number, even if my neighbours don’t agree! ‘Kistleden’ follows with no time to compose any sort of feeling or emotion but in doing so it creates those feelings on it’s own, as it’s melodic vocals and proper emo tones radiate from the speakers.

Naturally the majority of this album is brief in delivery and that’s true of ‘Indveil’. It pulls you into the album’s latter half with an as yet unheard hardcore tone. It’s definitely heavier and comes complete with chunkier riffs. While ‘Indveil’ flew by in it’s own right, ‘Sondaiquai’ is Vau Faelgoh’s most explosive song in terms of length and intensity. Despite that though, Coma Regalia still manage to fill it with plenty of instrumentation and indeed vocal inspiration.

‘Shulederhau’ has a subtle punk vibe at the beginning before the pace grows once again and CR’s emotive screamo takes over. The thing about this recording is just how pure and real it sounds. Proper heart on your sleeve stuff. Penultimate song ‘Eivau’ has a great slow/fast dynamic going on, albeit with barely any space between the slow and fast parts, which makes it even more engrossing as a result.

Closing with ‘Daemeron’, Edie and Coma Regalia give the listener something more. Something that’s pretty damn inspiring. Joined by the additional percussion of Yurik and Bodhi Decker, it rounds out the album with a real sense of warmth. It goes without saying that Coma Regalia’s music has been ever-present and effervescent for many many years now. I know this album has been around for over five years but there’s a reason I’m writing about it (aside from it being part of my ZBR roster review series), which I’ll explain below. 

Edie is currently going through an extremely tough time financially and any help would be very warmly received. If you don't already own this album or other CR/Middle-Man releases, please consider making a purchase below (or even better, by contacting Edie directly to avoid platforms taking a percentage):-

There is also a gofundme campaign that has been set up by Edie, so if you'd rather donate to the cause this way here's the link - https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-edie-in-overcoming-debt-crisis

Coma Regalia - https://www.facebook.com/comaregalia

Convulse Records - https://www.facebook.com/convulserecords

I.Corrupt Records - https://www.facebook.com/icorruptrecs

Listen To Aylin Records - https://www.facebook.com/listentoaylin

Middle-Man Records - https://www.facebook.com/middlemanrecords

Pundonor Records - https://www.facebook.com/pundonorecords

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

Locktender - Sage: I

Labels: Self-Released/I.Corrupt Records

Formats: Digital/Vinyl

Release Date: 08 Mar 2024

Tracklist:

1. Tomorrow Is Never

2. For The Wind To Tear

3. No Passing

Back in January (was it really that long ago!) I reviewed the debut release from Inosuke and following that write-up, guitarist/vocalist Jason wrote back to tell me about the brand new release from Locktender (whom he's also a member of). I'm sorry that it's taken me so long to get round to this post. If you know Locktender then you'll be familiar with their self-proclaimed 'philosophercore'. To date Sage: I is self-released and the first of several inspired by surrealist painter Kay Sage. I.Corrupt Records will have a vinyl pressing of the EP available in the near-future too!.

Locktender has always been a band that has produced such beautifully cinematic post-rock/hardcore and after a six year wait, they’re back with a new release and concept. ‘Tomorrow Is Never’ begins in a vein that reminds of long-departed UK bands Voe and Mausoleion. Those comparisons only relate to the intro though as Locktender switch up a gear after a minute or so, taking you on a sludge/post-rock journey. It’s only at the mid three-minute mark that they hit full stride with the addition of bellowed screams and equally powerful instrumentation.

‘For The Wind To Tear’ gently floats along, with melody and music that builds throughout it’s short life-cycle. It’s quite sad when the song dissolves into near silence but there’s always a reason for suspense and Locktender use it perfectly as they lead into EP closer ‘No Passing’. After a week without wi-fi (gifting me the ability to fully switch off), it’s truly awe-inspiring to have this as the first music I listen to on my return. 

As ‘No Passing’ reaches the point of peak heaviness, the knowledge that this release is the first of many to come fills me with great joy. It’s crazy to think that Locktender has been a mainstay of the fertile screamo/post-hardcore/post-rock community for twelve years now. Here’s to many years to come. The added anticipation for the vinyl pressing from I. Corrupt Records will be well worth it too.

You can stream and purchase Sage: I as a name-your-price download from Locktender below:-

Locktender - https://www.facebook.com/locktenderband

I.Corrupt Records - https://www.facebook.com/icorruptrecs

Life - Demo Three

Labels: Self-Released/I.Corrupt Records/Larry Records/Polar Summer/Voice Of The Unheard Records/Zegema Beach Records

Formats: Digital/Tape/Vinyl

Release Date: 14 Mar 2020

Tracklist:

1. Ametic

2. Paroxis

3. September

4. Lluvia

It's Monday night, I've just moved through three day weekend that ended with sun (albeit fleeting), fun and family beers/a bbq thrown in for good measure. It's quite apt then that I'm writing about a band called Life tonight, especially given the drag back down to earth I've felt today (thanks day job!). I don't know a great deal about this release other than that it was self-released by the band in 2020, before Russian label Polar Summer did a tape release of it about a year later. It's come to my attention now because Zegema Beach Records along with I. Corrupt Records, Larry Records and Voice Of The Unheard Records recently committed it to vinyl. To date Life has released five demos and an LP.

This demo seems so fitting for this evening and despite not knowing a huge amount about the band, opener ‘Ametic’ sounds right up my street with a heady mix of emo, hardcore and super intense vocals. From doing some research Life may have a link to Sadness (which is utterly welcome if so!) but even if not, this is totally great anyway. 

I really needed music like this after a bit go a shit week in my day job last week. The beauty and majesty of the melody that opens ‘Paroxis’ leads into something altogether more life-affirming when Life’s full intensity hits. The vocals sound more like chorus/gang screams, which are semi-clean and full of volume. The percussion and guitar work is spot on all the time and given that this song stretches way beyond twelve minutes, that’s no mean feat. Introspection isn’t far away as the song’s mid-point shows, but the volume ratchets up once more as the full band’s sound grows ever better.

‘September’ is one of those songs that starts off slowly before picking up pace quickly, exploding into an extreme (almost black metal-like) concoction that bristles with so many other influences. The clean vocals seem to sit on top of everything else when they’re allowed to, as similarly the instrumentation does towards the end. 

Demo closer ‘Lluvia’ features the slowest of slow builds that’s also so chill. Emotional is definitely the word for this. It has got some comparisons to it that I won’t mention here, as there’s really no need too, but what I will say is that as a whole this song is truly beautiful and a great way to end the release. 

This demo clearly passed me by when it was originally released, so I’m thankful that CanaDave at ZBR brought it to my attention recently. Life is way more than just an emo/hardcore band. If the lineage is true, Life will surprise you with the rest of their output so far. Brilliant!

You can stream and purchase Demo Three digitally from Life below:-

Physical copies can be purchased from the labels below:-

I.Corrupt Records - https://www.icorruptrecords.com/products/life-demo-3-12-lp

Voice Of The Unheard Records - https://voturecords.com/product/life-demo-three-12/

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

I.Corrupt Records - https://www.facebook.com/icorruptrecs

Larry Records - https://www.facebook.com/larryscrammo

Polar Summer - https://www.instagram.com/polarxsummer/

Voice Of The Unheard Records - https://www.facebook.com/voturecords

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

Gillian Carter/Eyetlet - Split 7"

Labels: I.Corrupt Records/Puddlejumper Distro/Santapogue Media/Zegema Beach Records

Formats: Vinyl/Digital

Release Date: 10 Jul 2017

Tracklist:

1. Gillian Carter - Despair

2. Gillian Carter - Anguish

3. Eyelet - Famine

4. Eyelet - Cowardice

Looking at the cover of this split featuring US screamo/hardcore bands Gillian Carter and Eyelet, you'd think it was a ZBR swirl dip. It was in fact released way before the label started doing swirl tapes (I think?). I sit here tonight staring at a physical purple vinyl copy, not fully remembering how I came across it. It was either directly through Zegema Beach Records or via another label/seller back in 2018. For those of you who like your geography, Gillian Carter are from Florida and Eyelet are from Maryland, USA.

In case you hadn’t guessed from the intro paragraph, this is another Zegema Beach Records roster review. I’m ploughing on with the series but before I start talking about this particular release, I want to say thank you to CanaDave for the shout out via his recent ‘Out Past The Rings’ video, which was about the four-way split release that featured Massa Nera, Thisismenotthinkingofyou, Yo Sbraito and Ef’il. That was really kind man!

Both bands contribute two songs to this split, starting with Gillian Carter. ‘Despair’ lasts less than a minute and presents itself in the most violent of ways. Both the instrumentation and the vocals waste no time in making an impression, I wouldn’t say this was emoviolence per se, but it’s pretty damn close. GC’s second song ‘Anguish’ is very aptly titled. The riffs here are way more accented (if that’s even a word!) and there’s an atmosphere that’s more obvious, even though it’s no longer that their opener.

Eyelet are a more considered proposition, with their opener ‘Famine’ being more screamo in approach. The overall sound is more melodic as opposed to being more violent, while also having a slightly more technical edge as well. At the turn of the year I said that I was going to alter the way I wrote my reviews, yet I can’t seem to get away from doing live reviews (writing about releases in real time, while they’re playing). Eyelet makes it easier to do that and their second song ‘Cowardice’ follows on straight away but with a much more intense feel. The screams are truly caustic, while the instrumental approach is a mix of violent and melodic at the same time.

This split is over in the blink of an eye. Coming into this (and not by design), I was much more familiar with Gillian Carter than I was with Eyelet, even though I’ve owned this release on 7” for a good few years now. I love both bands though. I know there are newer releases that I need to delve into, so this review is the catalyst I’ve been waiting for. There’s still time for you to do the same. 

Stream and download the split digitally here:-

You can still purchase physical copies from Santapogue Media below:-

Santapogue Media - https://santapogue.bandcamp.com/album/gillian-carter-eyelet-split-7

Gillian Carter - https://www.facebook.com/gilliancarterofficial

Eyelet - https://www.facebook.com/eyeletband

I.Corrupt Records - https://www.facebook.com/icorruptrecs

Santapogue Media - https://www.facebook.com/santapoguemedia

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

Black Love - Black Love

Labels: Don't Live Like Me Records, Good Post Day Records, I.Corrupt Records, L'Oeil Du Tigre, Zegema Beach Records, Aorte

Formats: Vinyl/Tape/Digital

Release Date: 30 Sep 2014

Tracklist: 

1. Corps Etranger

2. Black Baby Jesus

3. Becker's Leitmotif

4. Libertines

5. L'insoutenable Légèreté De Sauce

6. Ø

7. La Fois Que Le Spot Est Passe Au Feu

Here's a new Zegema Beach Records roster series review, because I've been binge watching some more of Dave's 'Out Past The Rings' videos on YouTube and I haven't done one for a week or so. This one features French-Canadian post-hardcore/post-rock band Black Love. This self-titled record was co-released in September 2014 via ZBR and the other labels mentioned above and still serves as the most recent music to come from the band, as they don't appear to be active currently.

I’ve been cooking up some plans for future features but more on that later. Gotta keep myself focused on Black Love and the glorious music they make on album opener ‘Corps Etranger’. Masters of  the cinematic slow-build, they deliver an instrumental that’s fit to bursting with intrigue and imagination as it increases in volume and layers. It’s not entirely instrumental though as about three-minutes in, raw screamed/part-clean vocals come over the horizon and add an old-school screamo texture to the song. Proper heart-wrenching.’ Black Baby Jesus’ is so rhythmic and upbeat, with great melodic guitar work flowing throughout and even more emotive vocals, and enigmatic percussion. It reminds me of a crossbreeding of ‘Between Order And Model’ era Funeral For A Friend and Russian emo band Ensslin. I hope that makes sense but if it doesn’t, I don’t care.

One thing that really stands out on Black Love is the musicianship, which features so much talent all round. ‘Becker’s Leitmotif’ is just over four-minutes in length but flies by in seemingly no time at all, thanks to the aforementioned musicianship. Add to that the harsh vocals, which leap out of the speakers even when enveloped by the instruments. It gives you such a euphoric feeling listening to it. Black Love adds an edge of funk to ‘Libertines’ alongside the spoken-word/clean vocals that give way to more caustic screams later on. The song is littered with lyrics that describe teenage emotions and love. The music backs it all up with an equally emotive backdrop that’s every bit as dreamy as it is urgent.

The opening tones of ‘L’insoutenable Légèreté De Sauce’ seem almost menacing but that menace is soon banished by dramatic instrumentation that’s joined by what sounds like brass at times (but I may be mistaken). I’m sure that members of Albatros guested on here!?. Anyway, just listen to it, as it’s beautiful. ’Ø’ follows on immediately after and it’s mix of feedback and gentle riffing is hauntingly good. Sort of in the same that a nursery rhyme is in certain settings (horror films). It’s wholly instrumental and bridges the gap to album closer ‘La Fois Que Le Spot Est Passé Au Feu’. This final song is probably the most post-rock that Black Love go in terms of their sound. It’s big but not obtuse, more rhythmic than off-kilter and mid-paced, as opposed to violently fast. It’s perfect.

In a year where Cassus and their album Separation Anxiety have been on constant rotation (still), and where I’ve discovered Japan’s Lang (thanks to Dog Knights Productions), I do wonder how I managed to miss Black Love for so long. It may be over 6 years old now, but this is another one I’ll be revisiting over and over again.

You can stream and grab 'Black Love' as a name-your-price download below:

Black Love - https://www.facebook.com/blacklovemtl/

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

I.Corrupt Records - http://icorruptrecords.limitedrun.com/products/

Zegema Beach Records (CAD/INTL) - http://www.zegemabeachrecords.com/ / (US) - https://zbrusa.com/

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

Good Post Day Records - https://www.facebook.com/goodpostdayrecords/

I.Corrupt Records - https://www.facebook.com/icorruptrecs/

L'Oeil Du Tigre - https://www.facebook.com/loeildutigre/

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

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

Locktender - Friedrich

Labels: I.Corrupt.Records/Middle-Man Records/Zegema Beach Records/Deadwood Records/Utarid Tapes

Formats: Vinyl/Tape/Digital

Release Date: 15 Jan 2018

Tracklist:

1. The Monk By The Sea

2. View Of A Harbour

3. Wreck In The Sea Of Ice

4. Seashore With Shipwreck By Midnight

5. The Chasseur In The Forest

6. Morning Fog In The Mountains

7. Winter Landscape

8. The Abbey In The Oakwood

Ohio's Locktender ended their four years of silence earlier this year, with the release of "Friedrich". It tells the story of a Monk who eventually killed himself through loss of faith, while drawing inspiration from the artwork of 19th-century German landscape artist Casper David Friedrich. Having been released on vinyl initially, it was released on tape in May. I've already been jamming the album prior to writing this review, which isn't something I usually do but I was sucked in.

This feels good. The escape from reality that’s provided by music is unparallelled and Locktender goes the extra mile to make their’s that bit more special. The Monk By The Sea is the melodic opener you want and while the crunching riffs/percussion/vocals remind you of the band’s hardcore leanings, there’s way more to it all. The introspective passages filled with guitar melodies and the clean singing that towers over the recording at times, are layers that just belong. View Of A Harbour is a short piece that definitely conjures up images of sitting staring out over a coastal vista, with no cluttered thoughts to worry about. It flows into Wreck In The Sea Of Ice, which is filled with palpable emotion and anger from the vocals, while once again the melodies play out over minimalist drumming, There’s still loud dissonant screamo present but it’s very cohesive as opposed to being stop/start. Locktender’s lengthy instrumental passages are a pleasure to behold, like the one that forms the first sections of Seashore With Shipwreck By Moonlight. It’s spacey, calming and reminds me a lot of the music contained on “Feathers” by Duct Hearts at one point and then early-00’s post-hardcore the next. It builds up throughout and eventually explodes into something akin to emo-violence/hardcore towards the end. it’s wonderful. 

The second half of “Friedrich” is a post-hardcore/metal feast thanks to The Chasseur In The Forest. The vocals definitely hit you from a more extreme place, while the shorter running time and layers of sound offer a lot of impact, which other albums miss within their mid-sections. They’re back to their cinematic best on Morning Fog In The Mountains, with the calm/chaotic dynamic working so well. “Friedrich” is an album best enjoyed in a full sitting and not in fits and starts. Even though the song-titles seems as though they were chosen at random, the songs themselves follow on with ease. Penultimate song Winter Landscape is the album’s longest and one of it’s most thought-provoking as well. The beautiful isolation that you feel during it’s mid-section is hard to ignore. It’s like staring up at the night sky, inspired by just how huge the universe is other than just focusing on your small part of it. It’s taking that step back that makes the difference. Following that was always gonna be difficult so Locktender goes in a completely different direction and fills The Abbey In The Oakwood with off-kilter hardcore and screamo that smashes the wonderment into smithereens and replaces it with distant anguish and subtle black metal-style morbidity. 

I’m annoyed that I didn’t give this more attention earlier on in the year. It’s utterly glorious and shows that the time Locktender spent silent hasn’t affected them musically. in fact, it’s probably allowed them to open up and explore further, which has made for an outstanding album. Nothing more need be said. 

You can stream "Friedrich" and get it as a name-your-price download below:-

Locktender - https://www.facebook.com/locktenderband/

Physical LP and tape copies can be purchased from the links below:-

I.Corrupt.Records - http://icorruptrecords.com/product/locktender-friedrich-12

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

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

Deadwood Records - https://www.deadwoodrecords.de

Utarid Tape - https://www.facebook.com/utaridtapes/

I.Corrupt.Records - https://www.facebook.com/icorruptrecs/

Middle-Man Records - https://www.facebook.com/middlemanrecords/

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

Deadwood Records - https://www.facebook.com/deadwoodrecords/

Untold Want/Ostraca/Vril/Coma Regalia - Yarrow 4-Way Split

Labels: Zegema Beach Records/Middle-Man Records/I Corrupt Records

Formats: Vinyl/Digital

Release Date: 04 Sep 2017

Tracklist:

1. Untold Want - Nameless/Formless

2. Untold Want - Bright As Ash

3. Untold Want - Soft Veils

4. Untold Want - Second Child

5. Ostraca - Against Decency

6. Ostraca - So Do I

7. Vril - Sacrosanct

8. Vril - Vemodalen

9. Vril - Mirrorshield

10. Coma Regalia - Convince

11. Coma Regalia - Destroy

12. Coma Regalia - Release

Another day another screamo release. Not by design but because I found me some extra time and because I'm a sucker for it. This 4-way split was released in late 2017 (early 2018 if you're talking about the 10" vinyl pressing) and it features four US bands that all present a variation on a theme. The only band on here that I'm truly familiar with is Coma Regalia, but I'm eager to hear Untold Want, Ostraca and Vril as well. Untold Want is from Denver (Colorado), Ostraca is from Richmond (Virginia), Vril is from Los Angeles (California) and Coma Regalia is from Indiana. 

It’s so great to be able to listen to a record that features four like-minded bands, sharing the same passion for the music they play. That’s exactly what happens here on “Yarrow”. Untold Want is up first with four fairly short tracks. Their opener Nameless/Formless pretty much sets their stall out early with a chaotic, abrasive form of screamo and hardcore. They’re in the same vein as bands like SeeYouSpaceCowboy and oh yeah…Vein, but with less of a grinding mentality. That is until Bright As Ash comes along. It initially starts of at a mid-pace, before the band launches into something all the more destructive. Soft Veils follows suit with no real let up but with plenty of great riffs. Their final contribution Second Child features a whole heap of feedback and rabid screams. The rest of the instrumentation is just as chaotic as Untold Want leaves it’s mark planted straight in the middle of your forehead.

Ostraca is up next with two songs. Against Decency picks up where Untold Want left off in the abrasive department, with definitely more of an emo-violence feel. The underlying melody created by the guitars permeates through the noise though and makes for a captivating listen. Their expanded song-writing on second song So Do I is a welcome addition to the record and it suits their sound really well. Quite mesmeric at times. Vril are instantly more of a technical proposition. Their first song Sacrosanct is experimental and leans towards the metallic end of the screamo spectrum. It’s layered with cool guitar melodies and filled with atmosphere. Vemodalen is an interlude that breaks up Vril’s intensity and leads to Mirrorshield, which underlines the subtle old-school approach that they take. Vril is a great find, though as you read this they have changed their name (or are about to) to Nuvolascura.

This record ends with the always frenetic screamo of Coma Regalia. Convince is an angry song that’s full of impact. For such a productive band to write such consistently good songs is incredible. There’s a lesson in here for younger bands. Destroy is punchy and to-the-point, following on from where Convince left off. In fact all three songs sound as though they were conceived as one and then split up (if you know what I mean). Release certainly feels that way and brings this record to a highly charged conclusion.  I hate writing closing pieces for reviews like this, as I don’t want to sound pretentious. If you like (proper) screamo/violence and you want to take a chance, you could do far far worse than to pick this up. Every song is great and each band has their own personality. 

You can stream "Yarrow" below:-

Untold Want - https://www.facebook.com/untoldwant/

Ostraca - https://www.facebook.com/ostracava/

Vril - https://www.facebook.com/Nuvolascura/

Coma Regalia - https://www.facebook.com/comaregalia/

Physical copies can be purchased from the labels below:-

Zegema Beach Records (Can/Aus/NZ) - http://www.zegemabeachrecords.com/zegema-beach-releases/

Middle-Man Records (USA) - http://middlemanrecords.storenvy.com/collections

I.Corrupt Records (Eur) - http://icorruptrecords.com/products/icr-releases

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

Middle-Man Records - https://www.facebook.com/middlemanrecords/

I.Corrupt Records - https://www.facebook.com/icorruptrecs/