Tröpical Ice Land - D

Labels: Dingleberry Records/Krimskramz/Zegema Beach Records

Formats: Vinyl/Digital

Release Date: 04 Mar 2019

Tracklist:

1. Calliphoriade

2. Amittat

3. Teresa

4. Kokoro no kaze

5. Reverencia a la nada

6. Pluie de feu

I'm delving back into the earlier release catalogue of Zegema Beach Records this evening, as part of my ongoing roster review series (which I really need to pick up the pace on). Spanish trio Tröpical Ice Land released their 2019 LP D via ZBR in early 2019, with help from Dingleberry Records and Krimskramz too!

It marked their fourth release as a band (though 'Amittat' was released as a standalone single and 'Teresa' appeared on ZBR's Zampler #12 before the full record saw the light of day). The band have links to Enze, Empty Heads and Strong Noises. I first properly discovered them thanks to their appearance on the 2020 five-way split Cinq that also featured Jeanne, Potence, Les Deux Minutes De La Haine and Yarostan.

I was going to open this review with something completely off topic, but it didn’t feel right. My brain works in odd ways sometimes! Allow me to guide you into D by Tröpical Ice Land instead with it’s opener ‘Calliphoriade’. Now it’s probably just me but does that first sixty-second intro remind anybody of ‘Aerials’ by System Of A Down? That’s not a comparison, it’s just an observation because Tröpical Ice Land are on a completely different plane musically, as their atmospheric post-hardcore takes over. 

Majestic and cinematic in the best possible way, without the explosive nature that the sub-genre can possess. Maybe it’s the time of year but I’m here for slower tempos and almost glacial atmosphere, which Tröpical Ice Land deliver beautifully. ‘Amittat’ follows directly on in the same vein, though a retreat into silence and introspection does give way to a more violent approach, which actually brings to mind Spanish compatriots Descubriendo Y Mr. Mime and Hurricade (whose split 7” was also released via Dingleberry Records and Krimskramz, alongside Dog Knights Productions back in 2016). 

After two frankly palatial numbers, ‘Teresa’ comes at you with an unexpected level of rawness. Maybe it’s because of the hasher vocal delivery or the crustier-edge to the instrumentation. Whatever the reason though, it does nothing to dampen the enjoyment you’ll get from this release. As ‘Kokoro no kaze’ signals the record’s latter half, it does so in deceiving fashion as it starts off with the atmosphere that opened things before launching into heavier vibes. 

Penultimate song ‘Reverencia a la nada’ is the most dramatic song on D and as it builds to a likely crescendo, it reminds me of how fleeting my attention span can be at times. Thankfully, I’m dragged back into the moment around about two-and-a-half minutes in by more abrasive screamo/emoviolence (why hasn’t someone just come up with the sub-genre “screamoviolence” yet?).

Closing out with ‘Pluie de feu’, Tröpical Ice Land leave you spellbound thanks to a gut-wrenchingly beautiful instrumental that was slightly unexpected but not out of place. I have this thing where I’m scared to be late but also think that I never have enough time to do things, so I always leave plenty of time for everything. Maybe I just need to chill. I didn’t think I’d have enough time for this tonight but sitting down to write this review after ironing (yes, my life is that glamorous!) has made me relax and truly appreciate this musical moment.

Now, while I implore you to purchase D on vinyl or digitally from Tröpical Ice Land via their bandcamp page below; their songs are also available as free downloads on the same page:-

Tröpical Ice Land - https://www.facebook.com/Tropicaliceland

Physical copies are also still available from the labels below:-

Dingleberry Records - https://www.discogs.com/seller/dingleberryrecords/profile

Krimskramz - https://krimskramz.com/produkt-kategorie/krimskramz-releases/

Zegema Beach Records - https://zbrusa.com/

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

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

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

Coma Regalia/Drei Affen - Split 7"

Labels: Adorno Records/Dasein Records/Dingleberry Records/Discos Finu/Krimskramz/Middle-Man Records/Muerte Matar Records/Pifia Records/Producciones Tudancas/TimTam Records/(We Built The World And) Miss The Stars Records/Zegema Beach Records

Formats: Vinyl/Digital

Release Date: 13 Feb 2018

Tracklist:

1. Coma Regalia - The End Result

2. Coma Regalia - Ever More Over

3. Coma Regalia - Cease Seeking Closure

4. Drei Affen - Dejadme Sonar Despierto

5. Drei Affen - Lluvia

I can't promise a lot this week in writing terms (there's a lot going on and not much time) but it's much better to focus on the time I do have. I think this is my tenth review to feature US screamo band Coma Regalia, which is pretty mad and testament to their productivity. It's the second time I've featured Spain's Drei Affen, whose discography is somewhat smaller than their split-mates, but of the best quality. This 7" was released five years ago next week though a collaboration of twelve DIY labels.

Coma Regalia’s music is known for (more often than not) being on the faster, more violent side of screamo, while still being melodic and their opener ‘The End Result’ exhibits that description perfectly with all of the right elements. Piercingly energetic screams, riffs full of urgency and percussion that’s often on the ragged edge. ’Ever More Over’ begins with a more pensive approach of clean-ish singing and mid-paced instrumentation, before launching back into more familiar territory thanks to the harsher vocals. The instrumentation remains more restrained through to the end, where it pauses and draws you into their final song ‘Cease Seeking Closure’, which is very much a mix of the previous songs. The thing that strikes you here is the preciseness of the guitar melodies and the impact they bestow on Coma Regalia’s music.

Drei Affen contribute two songs to this split and their opener ‘Dejadme Sonar Despierto’ is a powerfully seething hardcore song filled with higher-pitched screams and all-encompassing instrumental work that doesn’t let up, even when they slow the pace down. Split closer ‘Lluvia’ goes even harder, pushing Drei Affen’s intensity deeper into your synapse. The short playing time afforded to this format is actually beneficial here, as the split’s impact is much greater due to the immediacy of both bands. 100% would recommend!

You can stream and purchase the split digitally below (as well as from Drei Affen via their bandcamp page):-

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

Drei Affen - https://www.facebook.com/dreiaffenband

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

Adorno Records - https://adornorecords.bandcamp.com/album/split-2

Dingleberry Records - https://www.discogs.com/seller/dingleberryrecords

Discos Finu - https://discosfinu.bandcamp.com/album/drei-affen-i-coma-regalia-split

Krimskramz - https://krimskramz.com/produkt/025-drei-affen-coma-regalia-split-7/

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

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

Discos Finu - https://www.facebook.com/discosfinu

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

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

Muerte Matar Records - https://www.facebook.com/MuerteMatarRecords

Pifia Records - https://www.facebook.com/pifiarecords

Producciones Tudancas - https://www.facebook.com/ProduccionesTudancas

(We Built The World And) Miss The Stars Records - https://www.facebook.com/missthestarsrecords

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

Drei Affen - Drei Affen

Labels: Adorno Records/Arkan Records/Blessed Hands Records/Cactus Tapes/Dingleberry Records/Discos Finu/Don't Care Records/Hydrogen Man Records/Krimskramz/Lifeisafunnything/Middle-Man Records/Monte Calvario/Pifia Records/Pure Heart Records/Rakkerpak Records/Rubaiyat Records/Screamore/Unlock Yourself Records/Voice Of The Unheard/Zegema Beach Records

Formats: Vinyl/Tape/Digital

Release Date: 15 Jun 2016

Tracklist:

1. El Sonido De Tu Llanto

2. El Yugo

3. Miedo

4. Caen Los Suenos

5. Fuego Y Llanto

6. El Comianzo Del Cambio

I hit a major milestone with the blog last week by reaching 900,000 readers. It's a massive achievement and I'm going to push to hit 1,000,000 by the end of 2022, which would be epic! Thank you to everyone for the interest and support so far.

Today I'm on the ZBR trail again and focusing the 2016 self-titled EP by from Spanish post-hardcore/emoviolence band Drei Affen. It was released on vinyl and tape via many labels (see above) and digitally too. In fact, it was Drei Affen's debut. According to social media, Drei Affen are back after a break too, having played live in November just gone.

Drei Affen’s sound has always been explosive and their self-titled EP is where it all started. Melodic post-hardcore, frenzied emo-violence and abrasive neocrust converge on opener ‘El Sonido De Tu Llanto’ to create a massively enjoyably first impression. It’s what could be described as carefully orchestrated chaos.’ El Yugo’ follows on with a symphony of guitar riffs, backed up very tight percussion and vocals that sound like they’re coming from totally shredded vocal chords. There are plenty of off-kilter moments and even time for an atmospheric mid-section.

The slightly slower tempo of ‘Miedo’ is a bit of an illusion, as the guitars make it seem less intense while everything else goes off just as hard. Drei Affen’s music is immediate, leaving no room for any fluffiness and it’s all the better for it. They remind me a lot of Ojne, who also fly the flag for European screamo. This EP ascends to a gloriously crazed peak on ‘Caen Los Suenos’. It’s really hard to adequately describe how much it comes alive in words but there’s just something about the beauty portrayed amongst it’s sub-three minute form. I guess you’re just going to have to listen to it (if you’re not already familiar).

Penultimate song ‘Fuego Y Llanto’ feels like it stretches way beyond it’s playing time thanks to the sheer amount of instrumental layers it has. Harnessing energy that Drei Affen barely keep a lid on, there are both breathless and breathable moments within. The intro bars to EP closer ‘El Comienzo Del Cambio’ feature a spoken-word sample alongside an ace drum-fill, which signals what’s to come as things conclude. With the majority of lyrics in Spanish, the song and indeed the entire record seem to convey such a rawness that leaps out at you. Slow post-metal vibes pull you towards the final passages of emoviolence and then all goes quiet.

At this point I’m a little stuck for words. This record comes and goes pretty quickly, but that’s what makes it so memorable too. I’m not sure how many copies of this still exist for sale, but if you can find one in the wild don’t hesitate to pick it up.

You can stream and purchase the EP digitally below:-

Drei Affen - https://www.facebook.com/dreiaffenband

You can still buy vinyl and tape copies from the below labels:-

Hydrogen Man Records - https://hydrogenman.storenvy.com/

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

The labels that were involved in the release are linked below:-

Arkan Records - https://www.facebook.com/arkanrecords/

Blessed Hands Records - https://www.facebook.com/BlessedhandsRecords

Cactus Tapes - https://www.facebook.com/cactustapes

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

Discos Finu - https://www.facebook.com/discosfinu

Don't Care Records - https://www.facebook.com/DontCareRecords

Hydrogen Man Records - https://www.facebook.com/hydrogenmanrecords

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

Lifeisafunnything - https://www.facebook.com/lifeisafunnything123

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

Monte Calvario - https://www.facebook.com/montecalvariorecords

Pifia Records - https://www.facebook.com/pifiarecords

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

Rakkerpak Records - https://www.facebook.com/rakkerpakrecords

Rubaiyat Records - https://www.facebook.com/rubaiyatrecords

Screamore - https://www.facebook.com/takecareofyourself1

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

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

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

Foxmoulder/Eaglehaslanded - Split LP

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

Formats: Vinyl/Digital

Release Date: 22 Aug 2015

Tracklist:

1. Foxmoulder - Tempered III

2. Foxmoulder - Needless/Anxious

3. Foxmoulder - Antrim

4. Foxmoulder - Shame

5. Foxmoulder - Increments

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

7. Eaglehaslanded - Заклятые Враги

8. Eaglehaslanded - Mora Samo Da Se Umre

9. Eaglehaslanded - Got A Flower

10. Eaglehaslanded - Tworatz

11. Eaglehaslanded - Grobljanska

12. Eaglehaslanded - 1000 Palms

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Physical copies are still available from the labels below:-

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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