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.

Nuvolascura - Nuvolascura

Labels: Dog Knights Productions/No Funeral Records/Sombras Del Progreso/Zegema Beach Records

Formats: Vinyl/Tape/Digital

Release Date: 28 Jan 2019

Tracklist:

1. Death As A Crown

2. ...On Account Of The Poison

3. Flower Offering

4. Saccharine Trance

5. It Comes In Plagues Of Consciousness...

6. Vow Of Violence

7. Half Truth

8. Cerulean Wound

9. Zen Depression

10. The Slowest Color Seeping Trough (Mask Of Myself)

11. Designs For An Altar

It's rather fortuitous that Zegema Beach Records has just released a CD compilation containing all of Nuvolascura's songs to date, which may be a precursor to something. It's good timing for me because I'm jumping back into my ZBR Roster Review series with the band's 2019 self-titled LP. I picked up a white vinyl copy from Dog Knights Productions, which was released in October of 2019 with the alternative black sleeve so I've lived with the album for a few years now. I saw someone leave a comment on Bandcamp describing Nuvolascura as a cross between Lord Snow and Oathbreaker. I can get behind that!

These eleven tracks go by in absolutely no time at all. Opener ‘Death As A Crown’ is considered long by Nuvolascura’s standards and what a way to kick things off! It’s filled with utterly impassioned screams and musical layers that straddle all corners of post-hardcore, screamo and even some blackened elements too. So friggin good!

From here everything becomes more intense as demonstrated by ‘…On Account Of The Poison’, which barely exists beyond a minute with it’s angular riffs and crazed percussive tempo. Everything seems calmer on ‘Flower Offering’ during it’s opening bars before Nuvolascura pick up in layers and textures, switching between emo spoken-word and caustic screams, as well as ever shifting instrumentation.

‘Saccharine Trance’ provides you with no chance of getting anywhere near said trance thanks to probably the most math-like song-writing you’ll witness on this LP. It’s an absolute banger. ‘It Comes In Plagues Of Consciousness…’ deceives as it takes over with gentle melodies and slower tempos for all of about thirty seconds, before Nuvolascura hit top gear with their most violent song yet.

In typically classy screamo fashion, ‘Vow Of Violence’ is the beautiful instrumental interlude that you weren’t expecting, given it’s title. Sandwiched right in the middle of the album, it offers a very brief moment of calm and tranquility, which is soon to be broken. The ringing feedback that signals ‘Half Truth’ does a good job of shattering any calming thought as the band precedes to rip themselves and you to shreds with glorious abandon. It benefits from being one of the lengthier songs, presenting more expansiveness and a space to breath.

That space is needed because no sooner has ‘Half Truth’ ended that ‘Cerulean Wound’ uproots everything again with pummelling emoviolence-led percussion, anxiety-filled trebly riffs and more insane vocal work. ‘Zen Depression’ seems like an oxymoron of a song-title and it’s actually pretty accurate, given the noise-rock approach that Nuvolascura take here. Groovier in many places, it grows with every bar before giving in to utterly bewildering grind.

Before you know it you’re listening to penultimate song ‘The Slowest Color Seeping Through (Mask Of Myself)’. It’s filled with expectation as it moves up the tempo scale from moderate to super fast and just when you think things are going to explode, it kicks you into album closer ‘Design For An Altar’. If fast screamo songs could ever be considered truly epic (in size and feel) then this one would sit right at the top of the pile. I don’t know what else to say and don’t really care how polarising that previous sentence may be.

Nuvolascura have favoured quality over quantity since their inception. The modern day screamo/post-hardcore community is lucky to have them amongst it’s ranks, especially when so many others have come and gone in quick succession. Hopefully, the future will be brighter for them and because of them.

You can stream and purchase the LP as a name-your-price download below:-

Physical copies are sold out from Nuvolascura and all of the above mentioned labels too. Hopefully, a repress will come at some point.

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

Dog Knights Productions - https://www.facebook.com/dogknights

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

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

Dianacrawls/Botfly - Split 7"

Labels: Fresh Outbreak Records/No Funeral Records

Formats: Vinyl/Digital

Release Date: 28 Jan 2022

Tracklist:

1. Dianacrawls - La Philosophie De La Verdure C'est Fini

2. Dianacrawls - Seroquel Is Love

3. Botfly - On Nihilism

With all of the AI generated artwork that's popular now and at risk of sounding like a luddite, the artwork that adorns the Dianacrawls/Botfly split 7" fills me with joy. It's MS Clip-art style is perfect and actually gives very little clue as to its contents. This split features two of Canada's more experimental hardcore/screamo acts. Quebec's Dianacrawls and Nova Scotia's Botfly joined together earlier this year,  with the help of Canada's No Funeral Records and Italy's Fresh Outbreak Records. Limited to 300 copies, 25 of which come with special handmade felt covers. 

I really loved A Glitter Manifesto, the previous Dianacrawls release from 2020. Here they contribute two songs, the first of which being ‘La Philosophie De La Verdure C’est Fini’ and I’m very hesitant to compare it to anything on that aforementioned release. Dianacrawls have always been a forward-thinking emoviolence band and here it’s no different. High-pitched screams, off-kilter instrumentation and loads of funk is what you get. Their second song ‘Seroquel Is Love’ is succinct to say the least, yet it’s musical heady mix of mathcore/post-hardcore is utterly transfixing from beginning to end, and ends it does, far too soon.

Botfly is a name I’ve read a lot about but whose music has eluded this blog until now. Their sole song ‘On Nihilism’ is allowed more time here than both songs by Dianacrawls. Botfly play in a slightly more straightforward fashion, but don’t let that fool you. Their post-hardcore approach is joined by elements of post-rock, shoegaze and even an amalgam of goth/indie. This makes me feel embarrassed about not featuring them here sooner. This is very thoughtful and enjoyable.

This is a split that does a really good job of sticking around long enough to make an impression, while also doing the exact opposite (if you get what I mean). Both Dianacrawls and Botfly provide different perspectives of an extreme sound, that builds on their growing experience that’s come from release after release in recent years. I thoroughly recommend this split and both bands here. You can’t go wrong.

Stream and grab the split digitally as a name-your-price download from both labels below:-

Fresh Outbreak Records - https://freshoutbreak.bandcamp.com/album/dianacrawls-botfly

Dianacrawls - https://www.facebook.com/dianacrawls

Botfly - https://www.facebook.com/botfly902

Physical copies are available below:-

No Funeral Records - https://store.nofuneral.ca/product/dianacrawls-botfly-split-7-vinyl

Fresh Outbreak Records - https://www.facebook.com/freshoutbreak

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

Cienfuegos/De Carne e Flor - Split Tape

Labels: No Funeral Records

Formats: Tape/Digital

Release Date: 04 Jan 2021

Tracklist:

1. Cienfuegos - Esquemas de Resistencia

2. Cienfuegos - Arquitecturas

3. De Carne e Flor - Orquidea

4. De Carne e Flor - Vergonha

I feel way more in the groove this week. I'm still well behind on where I want to be writing-wise, but you can't win em all. Canadian label No Funeral Records is one that I've admired for some time now and their 2021 is shaping up to be pretty good release-wise, so I thought a good place to start would be with this split tape from early January (digital/pre-order release date) featuring Cienfuegos from Chile and De Carne e Flor from Brazil. Two new and exciting South American screamo bands that I wanted to share with you.

It’s been a pretty damn solid year for music so far, most of which I’m still catching up on. This split caught my eye a little while ago and I knew it would be quality when I saw that No Funeral Records was involved. Chile’s Cienfuegos are up first with two tracks, beginning with ‘Esquemas de Resistencia’ and there’s definitely a Spanish/Latin vibe to it, at least until the band’s screamo fully takes hold. Their sound is raw and true, with heaviness that rests alongside gentle guitar/bass work, authoritative drums and full-on screams interspersed with samples. I’d say it’s pretty original in approach actually. 

The lengthy instrumental/sampled section that makes up the majority of ‘Esquemas de Resistencia’ is dramatic and when they kick back into their heavier selves, Cienfuegos become uplifting as well. Their second song ‘Arquitecturas’ is equally as musical, with the band’s instrumentation forging a path that builds in anticipation to the moment when the music once again explodes. The vocals are screamed in such a way that they sound even more emotive, almost tortured and oh so real. 

De Carne e Flor’s take on the sub-genre is a lot more metallic and violent, as their opener ‘Orquidea ‘ demonstrates. Faster tempos from the percussion, chunkier bass-filled/metallic riffs and hardcore-like vocals create an intense atmosphere that’s high in volume and energy. The other thing that’s noticeable is the song-lengths, which are shorter than those of their split-mates, which they compliment well.

There’s a more melodic-hardcore/punk edge to second song ‘Vergonha’, which only adds to the exhilaration that De Carne e Flor injects into their music. Tons of melody and a similarly polished delivery help too. Like their first, this one is over before you know it but that’s no bad thing because it stays lodged in your brain, yearning for repeat listens.

In fact, that last statement is true of this whole split. Two bands sharing the same love of hardcore and screamo, with honesty and energy in abundance. That should be reason enough to give this a listen. If you enjoy it, buy a tape and throw the bands, and No Funeral Records your support.

You can stream and purchase the split digitally below:-

Cienfuegos - https://www.facebook.com/cienfuegos.banda

De Carne e Flor - https://www.facebook.com/decarneeflor

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

Chivala/Suirami - Split (Longrail Records/No Funeral Records/More...)

Labels: Longrail Records/Non Ti Seguo Records/Tifone Crew/Lostdog Records/Equal Rights/Strigide Records/TimTam/Yoyodyne Records/Callous Records/Missed Out Records/Les disques Rabat-joie/Mevzu Records/No Funeral Records

Formats: Vinyl/Tape/Digital

Release Date: 15 Oct 2019

Tracklist:-

1. Chivala - Caduta

2. Chivala - 27 Marzo

3. Suirami - G. Burrasca

4. Suirami - Amaro

5. Suirami - Occhi Chiusi

6. Suirami - Nuovo Inizio

Chivala was the only non-US band on the four-way split I reviewed earlier in the week. Late last year, they joined forces with fellow Italian post-hardcore band Suirami for a split, which was released on 10" vinyl by a whole host of the labels (listed above) and also on tape by No Funeral Records. Chivala has two songs on here while Suirami has four.

I’ve found that over the years, Italian screamo/post-hardcore definitely has it’s own identity when held up against similar music from the US. Aside from the obvious fact that Chivala sings in their native-tongue, there’s something very old-school about their opener ‘Caduta’. There’s less of the emoviolence approach taken by their former split-mates in Lytic, Amitie and Pique. Hardcore riffs shape their music while still providing melody. The percussion is still technical in places and the vocals are still harsh, but it’s all delivered in a simpler fashion (at least to these ears anyway). ’27 Marzo’ is immediately more ambient, building slowly and steadily. The mood is darker and the tempo is more mid-paced this time. This song may give you a better idea of what I was trying to say above. Chivala’s sound is more controlled and thus easier to follow, if you’re not an emoviolence/mathcore nut for example.

This is my first time hearing Suirami and they come from a cleaner punk/emo direction, with vocals that are more audible. Again, lyrics are in Italian. On their opener ‘G. Burrasca’ they remind me of Dutch punks Antillectual. They’re off-kilter at times but also have that pogo-punk rhythm thing going on and a slight atmosphere akin to Deftones too. Suirami’s songs are on the shorter side, coming in at under three-minutes. Despite that obvious urgency, ‘Amaro’ is very up-tempo and enjoyable. They manage to weave a lot of music layers from a relatively simple approach and remain very catchy. It’s exactly the same for ‘Occhi Chiusi’, where their more cinematic/post-hardcore side comes forward, thanks to lengthier instrumental passages and more minimal use of vocals, which seem to be slightly lower in the mix this time. It fades out leaving a sizeable pause before final song ‘Nuovo Inizio’, which is an acoustic instrumental song that’s very calming.

Having both the slight abrasiveness of Chivala and the cleaner punk of Suirami on this split makes it work really well. It showcases two of Italy’s newer bands, while showing the variation that exists even in this small scene. Great job! 

You can stream the full split release below:-

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

Suirami - https://www.facebook.com/suirami/

You can buy physical and digital copies from bands above and the labels below:-

Longrail Records - https://longrailrecords.bandcamp.com/merch / https://www.facebook.com/longrailrecords/

Non Ti Seguo Records - https://www.facebook.com/nontiseguo/

Tifone Crew - https://www.facebook.com/tifonecrew/

Lostdog Records - https://lostdogrec.bandcamp.com/merch / https://www.facebook.com/LostdogRec/

Equal Rights - https://www.discogs.com/label/Equal-Rights

Strigide Records - https://www.facebook.com/strigiderec/

TimTam - https://www.discogs.com/label/TimTam-Records

Yoyodyne Records - https://www.discogs.com/label/yoyodyne-records

Callous Records - https://callousrecords.bandcamp.com/ / https://www.facebook.com/callousrecordsuk/

Missed Out Records - http://www.missedoutrecords.com/ / https://www.facebook.com/missedoutrecords/

Les disques Rabat-joie - https://lesdisquesrabat-joie.bandcamp.com/merch / https://www.facebook.com/lesdisquesrabatjoie/

Mevzu Records - https://www.facebook.com/mevzurecords/

No Funeral Records - https://nofuneralsound.bandcamp.com/ /

https://www.facebook.com/nofuneral8/

Amitie/Karloff - Split (Illuminate My Heart Records/No Funeral Records/Zegema Beach Records)

Labels: Illuminate My Heart Records/No Funeral Records/Zegema Beach Records

Formats: 5" Lathe/Tape/Digital

Release Date: 16 Jan 2020

Tracklist:

1. Amitie - A Love Letter

2. Karloff - The Dead Will Walk The Earth

Once again, I've got a release featuring Amitie for you. I still have to write about the Chivala/Suirami split, but that'll probably be up tomorrow now. Once that's done I'm moving on. With that said, this little split was released in early January on a very limited number of 5" lathe cut records and a similarly limited amount of tapes. It features one song by Amitie and one song by Canadian screamo band Karloff.

As with the split I reviewed on Tuesday, this one is also short but it makes up for that in musical quality. Amitie’s 'A Love Letter’ starts off gently with a lengthy passage of guitar melody, before the latter half’s off-kilter emoviolence takes the floor. It’s over in a flash but the exhilaration is real.

Karloff is a new name to the blog (at least from what I can remember). Their song ‘The Dead Will Walk The Earth’ is filled with short bursts of violent noise, twinkly guitars and harsh screams. The percussion adds to the chaos and the rawness only makes it sound more heart-wrenching. 

Again, sometimes it’s not quantity but quality that makes a release special. This is high on quality and even though it’s brief in length, both bands provide glimpses into their sound. It works in a very satisfying way as it makes you want to go and seek out the rest of their music on your own. Go for it!

Stream the split and grab it as a free digital download here:-

Amitie - https://www.facebook.com/amitiemo/

Karloff - https://www.facebook.com/amitiemo/

Physical copies can be purchased (only a few remain) from the links below:-

Amitie - https://amitiemo.bandcamp.com

Illuminate My Heart Records - https://www.facebook.com/illuminatemyheartmydarling/

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

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

Politess - The Sound Of Crowdfunding (No Funeral Records)

Labels: No Funeral Records

Formats: Tape/Digital

Release Date: 29 Nov 2019

Tracklist:

1. Confrontation Par Le Son

2. Obsolescence Recyclable

3. Un Vide A La Fois

4. Tommy S'achete Un Condo Sur Mars (The Chronicles Part. II)

5. Spinner Dans L'fish N' Chips

6. La Police Du Bon Gout

Reaching the mid-way point of the usual weekly grind is always cause to celebrate. I'm gonna celebrate it with...some grind! This is the latest release from (another) Canadian band called Politess. It was released last November on tape via No Funeral Records, as well as digitally via both label and the band themselves. Politess released their first EP band in 2012, before a self-titled full length record in 2015 and then another EP (also released with the help of No Funeral Records) in 2018.  Third EP "The Sound Of Crowdfunding" was released less than twelve months later. This is more than grind and contains loads of mathy nonsense akin to Daughters and Genghis Tron etc. 

This is glitchy, jazz-laden grind with heavy use of electronics. Confrontation Par Le Son is what happens when a screamo band mixes with off-kilter grind and Merzbow. Crazy instrumental acrobatics courtesy of the percussion and guitars sit perfectly with the piercing harsh vocals. Industrial coldness and high-pitched screams that would make The Body proud are present on Obsolescence Recyclable. It also sounds like someone employed an 80s sci-fi robot and lasers for added effect, which should be mandatory if you ask me!

The majority of their songs are what you’d expect from a band majoring in mathy, technical grind and Un Vide A La Fois dials up the weird even more with plenty of reverb-laden vox and Casio-like keyboard effects. What comes next is very different. Tommy S’achete Un Condo Sur Mars (The Chronicles Part II) is their take on minimalist, noisy sludge except it’s being played by an avant-garde jazz troupe. It’s experimental by sheer virtue of being bizarre and so enjoyable. Sandwiched in between Tommy… and the EP closer, is Spinner Dans L’fish N’ Chips, which is just fifty-five seconds of utter madness. That kind of describes the whole EP come to think of it.

La Police Du Bon Gout closes out “The Sound Of Crowdfunding” with a lengthy and musical piece. It’s probably the closest you’re gonna get to conventional music on the EP, but even then it’s not that close. Politess once again show their penchant for experimentation, strange sounds and even a sample of what sounds like someone stopping to have a drink in between. It’s a song that builds in volume and layers, but it never reaches the noisy heights that you might be expecting. 

I have a feeling that Politess is going to be on heavy rotation at TNIO towers for quite some time. This is great experimental grind with a bit of post-hardcore sensibility too. No Funeral Records have smashed it out the park again and considering this small label turned me onto bands as great as Albatros and Paper Hats already, I shouldn’t really have been surprised. Make sure you check this out!

Stream and purchase "The Sound Of Crowdfunding" digitally below:-

Physical tapes can be purchased via No Funeral Records here - http://nofuneral.storenvy.com.

Politess - https://www.facebook.com/polit3ss/

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

Albatros - Futile Review + Youtube Album Stream

Labels: Le Mort Records/Dingleberry Records/Zilpzalp Records/Les Disques Rabat-Joie/No Funeral Records

Formats: Vinyl/Tape/Digital

Release Date: 20 June 2019

Tracklist:

1. Keasbey Nights III

2. King Kong and the Pogo Loco

3. Dusted with the Musket

4. Towering Terreur

5. Albo-Club 5 (Aller du Dépanneur)

6. Albo-Club 3 (Ditch the Snitch)

7. Y'a Faite Crotteau

8. (C'est qui ca?) Studge

9. Invincible 'till Death

10. La Crepine

Ever since I reviewed Albatros's split tape with TDOAFS, I've not been able to get enough of their unique brand of punk/hardcore. I think it was the brass that did it but these French Canadians really seemed to be doing something different and fun with their music and when I learnt about their latest album "Futile", I knew it'd be good. I've listened to it more than a few times since it's release in late June and have finally got around to writing about. It was released on vinyl and tape (via the labels listed above) and also digitally by the band themselves.

There’s something about the violent opening bars of Keasbey Nights III. The mix of blistering hardcore/off-kilter punk and the soothing nature of the brass makes it so addictive. It’s not cheesy like (some) ska, which helps. Not all songs on “Futile” are that heavy though and the amusingly titled King Kong and the Pogo Loco begins with completely the opposite vibe, before being thrust back into the hardcore fire. You get a sense of Mardi Gras during Dusted With The Musket, which is filled with chaotic urgency and catchy melody once again due to the brass that’s given space to breath on the recording. The recording actually captures the organic nature of Albatros really well and “Futile” is much more honest because of it. Towering Terreur is a heady mix of crazed punk with the odd rock element thrown in thanks to the riffs in part. 

There’s no time for hanging about on “Futile” either as Albatros leave only breaths between songs and those breaths are taken away with Albo-Club 5 (Aller Au Depanneur), which contains some of the fastest and noisiest drumming on the entire record. You’re smacked full-on in the chops by the throaty screams on Albo-Club 3 (Ditch The Snitch). In between the ferocity though, they do see fit to add in some really nice instrumental passages that break things up and make it even more listenable. As they progress through the record, they allow their songs to become lengthier. Y’a Faite Crotteau is by no means mid-paced but it’s got heaps of atmosphere, changing time-signatures and textures that will take you days or weeks to get your head round. (Ces’t Qui Ca?) Studge pretty much sums up why I like this band so much. Just listen to that intro section and you’ll understand why! The rest of song ain’t bad either!

The closing duo come around far too quickly and penultimate song Invincible ‘Till Death has an incredibly raw feel to it at times. That’s not doing it a disservice though as there’s still so many nuances to get stuck into. Rhythmically, they don’t stay in one place for long but it’s worth it. The longest number is left till last and Le Crepine is that crazy mix of grinding and intense hardcore mixed with unnerving metallic flourishes and the odd breakdown, that’s more emo than angry. Everything comes together in an obvious way and when they quieten down only to build up again after the two-minute mark, the peak Is reached and while it doesn’t fully spill over, things get very close. Abruptly, you’re left with silence but also the sense that you’ve listened to something that will stay with you forever.

Trying to describe music can never come close to actually becoming immersed in it. Do yourselves a favour and immerse yourselves in “Futile”.

You can stream and purchase "Futile" on vinyl and digitally below:-

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

You can also buy physical copies from the labels below:-

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

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

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

Les Disques Rabat-Joie - https://www.facebook.com/lesdisquesrabatjoie/

No Funeral Records - http://nofuneral.storenvy.com/products//https://www.facebook.com/nofuneral8/

Also, if that wasn't enough I've been given very special permission by the band to stream the entire album via my YouTube channel. Please give it listen here as well - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKwQGV3DmpU.

Paper Hats - Might (YouTube Song Premiere)

This evening sees a brand new song premiere courtesy of Canadian math-rock band Paper Hats. Their new song Might will appear on new EP "Tearing", which is due out on Friday 21st June via No Funeral Records and is currently live for pre-order via their webstore.

You can listen to the song via my YouTube channel here - https://youtu.be/j1gMFEMswGs, where you'll also find links to both Bandcamp and the pre-order. The full EP will also be streaming in it's entirety from Friday. Check it out, as Might is great and the rest of the EP is too (trust me)!

Paper Hats - https://www.facebook.com/bandpaperhats/

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

TDOAFS/Albatros - Split

Labels: Larry Records/No Funeral Records (Tape)/ L'Oeil Du Tigre/Don't Live Like Me Records/Black Lake Records/Dingleberry Records/Le Mort Records (Vinyl)

Formats: Vinyl/Tape/Digital

Release Date: 21 Nov 2016 (Vinyl Digital)/01 Apr 2019 (Tape)

Tracklist:

1. TDOAFS - Blank Paper

2. TDOAFS - The Whole World In My Hand

3. TDOAFS - Peaceful

4. TDOAFS - Face The Sun

5. Albatros - Vucules

6. Albatros - La Happy

7. Albatros - Clotaire Rapaille

8. Albatros - Le Split Rancid-NOFX

I wanna start this review with some advice for people reading that want to start a blog or site (because let's face it, nobody reads by opening ramblings!). Apart from the fact that you totally should do it, just remember that if you get enough people visiting it and people start sending you stuff, it's gonna become ALL CONSUMING!. This isn't a negative ramble, far from it. When I started down this rabbit hole over eight years ago, I didn't ever foresee my blog becoming anything that people would pay attention too, let alone write to asking for review etc. I couldn't be without it now, which is why posts like this mean so much to me. The fact that Mr Jablon cared enough to ask me to write some words about some of his release (let alone send me some!) make me happy.

Anyway, pointless rambles aside, this is the 2019 tape release of the split 10" that was released back in 2016 via all of the above labels (minus Larry Records). Larry released an extremely limited run of tape copies, that are now sold out, alongside No Funeral Records who made their own small run too. It features Canadian trio The Discord Of A Forgotten Sketch (TDOAFS) and their countrymen Albatros. This is a mix of screamo/post-hardcore and punk. 

This split contains four songs from both bands, beginning with TDOAFS.This is incredibly tuneful post-hardcore with vocals that sit buried within the music. Opener Blank Paper is a mix of upbeat melodic instrumentation and heavier passages, that are mainly guitar driven. It’s really creative and provides a different take on a sub-genre that’s growing exponentially within the underground at the moment. The Whole World In My Hand is more punk-influenced in parts, but TDOAFS retain their subtle aggressiveness too. 

Their songs are focused and the volume this trio produces is greater than expected. It all sounds very organic (it sounds like it was recorded live in it’s entirety). Carrying on the upbeat nature of their songs, Peaceful is anything but. It’s more angular this time and also there’s extra experimentation thrown in to the mix. It ends abruptly but that’s alright, as it keeps the momentum high going into last song Face The Sun. It’s another big song with a cathartic and almost euphoric feel to it, even when things take an introspective turn mid-way through.

I favour the “live reviewing” approach when writing, which means I like to let the music play as I write (usually on first listen too), which sometimes can be difficult if songs go by to quickly. Albatros’s Vucules is one such song, which flies by with a mix of fast hardcore and brass. It’s a strange mix but one that works superbly well. I’ve not heard a band like this ever I don’t think. I’ve heard bands that use clean singing and brass, but not harsh vocals. It gives La Happy a strange contrasting emotion that switches between darkness and light. They are French Canadian though, so it makes sense. 

Clotaire Rapaille carries on in the same vein and in no less entertaining because of it. It’s such a listenable formula that its hard to turn it off. The final song is called Le Split Rancid-NOFX and I’m not really sure what to expect. Albatros could be doing a medley of songs by both bands here, but doubt it. Either way, it’s a great way to end their side and indeed this split. This is such a unique and truly enjoyable split. If you’re a fan of post-hardcore then you’ll likely already be aware of TDOAFS obvious quality, but when you add in the originality of Albatros, you’ll be doubly impressed. If this was the first release of this split, it would be my favourite so far this year hands down. As it is, it’s still up there.

You can stream the full split via the TDOAFS bandcamp page below:-

Albatros have their side streaming below too, where you can also buy it digitally and on vinyl directly from them:-

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

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

Tape copies are sold out from Larry Records but you still find copies via No Funeral Records here - https://nofuneral.storenvy.com/

10" vinyl copies are still available via the below stores:-

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

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

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

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

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

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

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