Khnutt - Khnutt 7"

Labels: Its You! Records/Polar Summer

Formats: Lathe/Digital

Release Date: 10 Jun 2017

Tracklist:

1. Deceased

2. Mutilation

3. Power Supply

4. Basement

5. Point?

6. Useless

7. City

8. Suicide is not a bad thing

I'm starting to actively hunt down physical copies of releases that I've reviewed over the years. I own quite a few, but nowhere near as much as I should. The owning and reviewing paths cross this evening, as I once again give my attention to the Polar Summer discography. This evening, it's the turn of the self-titled EP from Russian powerviolence band Khnutt, which was released back in January 2017.

As well as being digitally released, it saw a limited 7" lathe release by both Its You! Records and Polar Summer (15 copies each from both labels). I was lucky enough to be able to track down a copy via the expansive distro of German label Dingleberry Records. A quick fact that I just learned about Khnutt too is that the band includes members of Lora. 

The 7” format is perfect for this release, as it’s a quick one. Opening with ‘Deceased’, this sounds much more like a powerviolence EP. The sludgy riffs and tempos lead into blasting, violent hardcore and the vocals sound deeper in tone than I was expecting. One thing you can’t escape from with this release is the ringing feedback. It’s only briefly used on ‘Mutilation’ but it grabs your focus as Khnutt grind their way through the next fourteen seconds. It’s very much in the vein of bands like Nausea, Reproach and Jesus Cröst.

I’ve forgotten how hard it was to try and live review music this fast (though you’d think I’d know it off by heart by now!). ‘Power Supply’ rages with short bursts of violence that sandwich a sludgy mid-section (if that’s the right way to describe it). There’s a very old-school feel to it all, which I like. ‘Basement’ takes a real blackened turn with the roaring vocals. They tower over the instrumentation for a bit, before Khnutt get noisy once again. Khnutt’s music has an edge to it that makes it very exciting and hard to turn off.

Talking of being hard to turn off, ‘Point?” Is over before you even get chance to think about it! This song is about as chaotic as Khnutt’s sound gets, with its flailing percussion and scratchy bass. ‘Useless’ is double the length of ‘Point?’ and it benefits from stop/start instrumentation, which is used to great effect. The vocals are as fierce as they have been throughout too, leaving no room for niceties.

From the short blasts of the EP so far, ‘City’ couldn’t be more different. Initially, Khnutt break out with mathcore before it gives way to some rap and spoken-word samples soon after. Even with those samples, the recording still maintains the slightly grainy/DIY sound that gives the release such heart. On EP closer ‘Suicide is not a bad thing’, hardcore groove flows into proto-crust blackness and with one last bass riff, it all goes silent.

This was actually the first of two EPs that Khnutt released in 2017. It’s a snapshot in time from a band that was very productive but somewhat elusive. I love it and I do wonder if anybody will give their work the discography treatment in the future. I can’t help but feel excited every time I listen to this and thankful that it exists. Be inquisitive about music and you’ll be rewarded.

Physical copies don't come up for sale very often, but you can stream and grab the EP as a name-your-price download from Khnutt below:-

No real social media presence to speak of unless you're on vk.com (if their profile still exists). Same for Its You! Records.

Polar Summer - https://polarxsummer.bandcamp.com

Dead Hour Noise - Slow Burn

Labels: The Ghost Is Clear Records/Zegema Beach Records

Formats: Vinyl/Digital

Release Date: 07 March 2025

Tracklist:

1. Mourning Doves

2. Pinioned

3. Slow Burn

4. Voices

5. Arson

6. Solstice

7. Closed Sicilian

8. Barren

9. Fools Gold

10. Supersonic

11. The Things We Say

It would be wrong of me to ignore that March was a barren month (post-wise anyway). I felt a shift in my motivation to write, which might sound odd given that last month was actually the strongest month  the blog's had for a long time (viewer-wise). I am slightly dubious about those numbers though, as engagement has been way down but I have a plan of sorts. That plan starts tonight with one of the newest releases to come from US label The Ghost Is Clear Records and US/CAN label Zegema Beach Records. 

Dead House Noise reside in Michigan, USA and Slow Burn is their fourth full-length. They're now into their 12th year as a band and their ZBR connection goes back to the 2020 Tomb Tree tape release of their album Sleeping Dogs, which was followed just over a year later by the tape release of their split with Deeper Graves, also via Tomb Tree.

I’m waiting on several record orders and I’m secretly hoping they all drop at once (that’d be so exciting!). One record has arrived that I’ll be writing about next and which, I’ll be keeping a secret for now. I want to try to kick off April with a bit of a flourish so I’m turning to the newest album from US band Dead Hour Noise. Released via two of the sickest and most prolific North American/Canadian labels in existence today, I don’t want to wait any longer.

DHN mixes everything from emo/powerviolence with hardcore, sludge and everything in between to create a collage of sound that’s quite frankly the auditory equivalent of every vice you can think of. Opening with ‘Mourning Doves’ proves exactly that, as the crushingly fast early bars give way to mathcore laden screamo and groovy sludge n roll (at least that’s what I’m calling it). Imagine Every Time I Die, Refused, Crowbar and Frontierer joining forces and you wouldn’t be too far off.

Comparisons aside, it’s hard to explain how energised I feel listening to this. I’m guilty of sleeping on bands and I always regret it. The insane intensity of ‘Pinioned’ once again conjures that feeling of guilt (or FOMO) as DHN launch into a frantic blast of grinding yet groovy hardcore/metal. I don’t want to label them as one thing or the other and as the heart rate drops with the help of guitar-led ambience, resting is no option.

The album’s title-track ‘Slow Burn’ is anything but. Panic chords and crazed percussion combine with passionate harsh vocals (and floor-splitting breakdowns) to throw you right off the scent. I’d hate to be my neighbours right now as the throat-ruining screams of ‘Voices’ kick in. While there are elements of the sassiness of SeeYouSpaceCowboy in places, DHN really just do their own thing and do it well. It’s crazy when you realise that there’s just the three of them.

‘Arson’ starts with more ominous guitar ambiance that leads to off-kilter, slamming heaviness but with more obvious melody too. DHN know how to write a heavy song that ultimately sounds way more than that. ‘Arson’ is filled with constantly shifting patterns that change your perception of their music, in a good way.  Talking of shifting things, the riffs that open ‘Solstice’ are amongst the wildest on Slow Burn so far. The vocals take on a slight black metal form, while the drums blast like there’s no tomorrow early on. After about ninety-seconds, the pace drops to reveal a slower tempo, dialled-back guitar and prominent bass jabs. 

It may be a ruse but it works as things start to pivot back in a more chaotic direction a few bars later. This is the album’s longest song so DHN are forgiven for changing things up a bit. The latter half of ‘Solstice’’ is mostly calmer and more introspective with swathes of keys swirling around at times. From a sense of near tranquility, ‘Closed Sicilian’ rips through the serenity in belligerent fashion. The instrumental sections are filled with mind-bending time signatures and when the vocals are present, there’s a heavy noise-rock vibe going on. 

Sloth-like, sludgy tones greet you on ‘Barren’, which is most definitely a song of two halves. The former is slower in tempo while the latter is a proper mixed bag, though it does finish as it started. The feedback that closes ‘Barren’ flows straight into ‘Fools Gold’ and it’s stupidly intense percussion, where said intensity is pretty much maintained throughout, even when the pace does slow. It’s a lesson in how a band can sound heavy in all forms.

Being at penultimate song ’Supersonic’ already seems insane. What does not though is the danceable nature of the song and it’s many elements (especially those riffs). There’s mathcore mixed with noise-rock mixed with powerviolence and sludge. A proper mix made in heaven. Closing with ‘The Things We Say’, Dead Hour Noise provide you with one last gasp of air before they cut off what’s left. 

Slow Burn is frenetic and fantastic, from beginning to end. I’m planning on getting a customised iPod with expanded memory in the near future (because I can no longer stand the anti-music stance that Spotify is taking and I miss my old iPod Classic as well). When I do, this album will be the first one I put on it. I’ve slept on Dead Hour Noise for too long. They’re excellent!

You can stream and purchase Slow Burn digitally from Dead Hour Noise below:-

Dead Hour Noise - https://www.facebook.com/deadhournoise/

Physical vinyl copies are available to buy from the labels below:-

The Ghost Is Clear Records - https://theghostisclearrecords.limitedrun.com/products/865169-dead-hour-noise-slow-burn-12

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

The Ghost Is Clear Records - https://www.facebook.com/TGICRECS

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

Blind Girls - Residue

Labels: Self-Released/Zegema Beach Records/Left Hand Label

Formats: Vinyl/Tape/Digital

Release Date: 13 Nov 2018

Tracklist:

1. Breaths

2. 3AM

3. Loss Forms A Sequence

4. Exertion

5. Visitant

6. The Ghost In My Eye

7. Dormant

8. Cherish

9. Discarded Pictures

10. Nightshade

11. Burial

A few more days of 2023 remain and while I'm looking ahead to what 2024 has in store musically, I'm trying to press on with a bit more consistency. One thing that's been (fairly) consistent throughout the year has been my Zegema Beach Records roster review series. The series brings me to Australian power-violence/screamo royalty Blind Girls and their 2018 debut album. It was self-released on vinyl and digital platforms by Blind Girls with help from Zegema Beach Records in 2018 (whom also released it as a limited tape run), while a second vinyl pressing by both ZBR and Left Hand Label followed in 2020 (I'm basing all of this info on what's available on Discogs so I hope it's accurate). 

Blind Girls have never wasted time or breath on their releases, with Residue hitting it’s marks straight away thanks to ‘Breaths’. I’ve owned a copy of the 2020 re-press since it’s release but it never gets old. The screeching feedback, high-pitched piercing screams and oft indecipherable instrumentation beneath make for an exhilarating start. Things don’t change on ‘3AM’, as the band continues to deliver super abrasive noise that’s big enough to exfoliate your inner ears. 

You’d think that things would settle down during the near three-minute song ‘Loss Forms A Sequence’, but they don’t. Instead, the noisy chaos is joined by subtle off-kilter/mathy guitar work and percussion. It’s not long before things return to normal thanks to ‘Exertion’, which benefits from the best of both side of BG’s sound so far, with added introspection/post-ness.

‘Visitant’ promises something more ambient and rhythmic, which it delivers. At times it threatens to overspill back into powerviolence territory but it remains an instrumental breather that’s in a class all of it’s own. The feedback that closes it out leads straight into ‘The Ghost In My Eye’, which features some gloriously cinematic guitar as an intro before being shattered by another bout of intensity. 

The latter half of Residue picks up in momentum as ‘Dormant’ takes up it’s brief residency. Another song that isn’t shy in coming forward. ‘Cherish’ makes you think it’s going to be more melodic in the riff department, which actually is the case for a large part of it, yet there’s no escaping BG’s emotive, all-encompassing performance where their emotion is front and centre.

We’re now nearing the album’s conclusion and ‘Discarded Pictures’ gives the impression of a band playing two different songs at once (at times) as it builds, plateaus and descends, all in the space of two minutes. Penultimate song ‘Nightshade’ once again provides a glimpse into the more technical side of BG’s music and in doing so, it also lays a path for the most heavily layered/engrossing song on the album so far.

Closer ‘Burial’  follows that same path in glorious fashion without any hesitation. The more expansive sound created by Blind Girls during these two final songs is the highlight of Residue for me. For some reason it just hits harder. Living with albums like this before writing about them is a privilege but writing this review makes me realise that I need to spend more time with them. Everything is so fast paced nowadays and I sometimes struggle to focus on individual details/elements of life. Maybe that’s something to work on next year.

You can stream and purchase Residue digitally below:-

Blind Girls - https://www.facebook.com/blindgirls

Physical vinyl copies are still available via Left Hand Label below:-

https://dogknightsproductions.com/collections/12-lhl/products/lhl018-blind-girls-residue-12-lp

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

Left Hand Label - https://www.facebook.com/lefthandlabel

Geist - Blueprints To Moderate Sedation

Labels: Cursed Monk Records/Black Omega Recordings/Trepanation Recordings

Formats: Vinyl/CD/Tape/Digital

Release Date: 20 Sep 2023

Tracklist:

1. Future Eaters

2. Peeling Wax

3. One Less Leech

4. Vessel Of Nothing

5. Panic Addicts

6. Help Less

7. Mass Instruction

8. Every Aching Bone

9. Terminal

10. Leech Chewer

It's safe to say (once again) that I am completely out of my rhythm. Still, I'm hoping that this Halloween night will be the catalyst to reverse my lack of productivity. It helps that my accompaniment comes in the form of UK hardcore-punk/pv band Geist. Their latest full-length Blueprints To Moderate Sedation was released in September with physical copies coming courtesy of Cursed Monk Records, Black Omega Recordings and Trepanation Recordings.

The pitch-black/dank facade I look out on is almost perfect this evening, especially when it’s set to the new Geist record. Album opener ‘Future Eaters’ is a bleak hardcore song filled with frenzied metallic riffs, a venomous low-end and intense drumming, while the vocals instantly grab your attention thanks to their powerviolence crossed with old school hardcore-punk delivery. ‘Peeling Wax’ sees Geist compress their sound and song-writing (not for the first time) into a sub two-minute blast, except this time there’s more math subtlety, if that’s even a thing.

The slower tempo that greets you on ‘One Less Leech’ brings back everything that’s great about UK powerviolence for me. That thicc guitar sound, sludgy atmosphere and the constant anticipation of a huge shift in pace. That shift comes and when it does it’s fantastic. Geist’s ability to change course musically is brilliant and that course changes again with ‘Vessel Of Nothing’, which slows and lowers the mood even further. I guess if Eyehategod and Blood Incantation collaborated, it might be akin to this maybe?

‘Panic Addicts’ sets you back on a more familiar path with a short and succinct blast of hardcore, while ‘Help Less’ and it’s downtempo atmosphere paints a bleak picture, critiquing on the current social and economic environment in which we live. As human beings we’re inherently selfish and this song reminds us so. 

Given how the last few years have gone ‘Mass Instruction’ is an apt song-title and while people are still divided, life goes on. I’m just thankful that music like this is still being released, as it proves that there is still freedom of thought in society (despite what religious bigots and conspiracy theorists tell you!). ‘Every Aching Bone’ moderates the anger within only slightly, with a more straight-forward outlook. 

Before you know it, penultimate song ’Terminal’ is upon you with it’s sampled, bass-heavy intro and off-kilter sludge that follows. It’s harrowing to say the least, but also sort of euphoric at the same time. There is a pleasure to be had from listening to extreme music and this hits the sweet spot. Closer ‘Leech Chewer’ rages even when It’s dialled back to mere feedback. 

It’s been one hell of a journey during these ten songs. When two working days have already felt like five, there’s not much room for rest. Blueprints To Moderate Sedation does nothing to turn off the overactive mind and mine’s racing a mile a minute. It’s a fantastic record and hopefully it’s battery will lead to peace.

You can purchase the album digitally and on vinyl/tape formats from Geist below:-

Geist - https://www.facebook.com/ukgeist

Copies are also available from the labels below:-

Cursed Monk Records - https://cursedmonk.bandcamp.com/merch

Black Omega Recordings - https://blackomegarecordings.bigcartel.com/

Trepanation Recordings - https://trepanationrecordings.bandcamp.com/merch

Cursed Monk Records - https://www.facebook.com/cursedmonk

Black Omega Recordings - https://www.facebook.com/BlackOmegaRecordings

Trepanation Recordings - https://www.facebook.com/TrepRec

Eyeteeth - State Funeral

Labels: Atomic Breath Records

Formats: Vinyl/Digital

Release Date: 06 Oct 2023

Tracklist:

1. Welfares Prayer

2. Armoured Jerubaal

3. Pig Iron

4. Survivor Syndrome

5. Still Broke

6. Wreck Head

Having only released their first 7" back in April, UK straight edge powerviolence band Eyeteeth are set to release a brand new six-track EP via Atomic Breath Records this Friday! It's being released as a 5", 25 black vinyl copies of which will make up a special limited box set with 75 copies coming on clear vinyl. I was lucky enough to be given a pre-listen, which I'm truly grateful form. On a side note: I don't know too much about Atomic Breath Records, so if anybody could link me up in the comments that'd be great.

I love it when bands go for different vinyl formats (aside from the usual 7” and 12” forms). Eyeteeth have chosen to release their latest recordings as a 5”, little more than five months after their Straight Edge Violence 7”. Eyeteeth take their cues from fastcore and powerviolence, so don’t expect anything to last much passed thirty seconds. Opener ‘Welfares Prayer’ hits top gear straight away with blasts, screeching feedback-filled riffs and super intense vocals. With no pauses between tracks, it’s best to listen to State Funeral in one full sitting (or more of course), as ‘Armoured Jerubaal’ comes at you hard. It is hard to process music when it’s thrown at you this fast but that’s the whole point here. Get in, get fast, get out.

‘Pig Iron’ contains way more groove than it should, with Eyeteeth showing their hardcore influence. It does remind a bit of bands like Water Torture and Sea Of Shit too, which is no bad thing at all. It’s worth mentioning at this point that the record was mixed and mastered by Will Killingsworth (Ampere/Orchid/Vaccine), so it’s in very good company indeed. ‘Survivor Syndrome’ is a trip though the harshest environment you could imagine, given the sheer sonic peril that’s delivered through the speakers. 

In little over a minute you’re at the record’s penultimate song ‘Still Broke’. You get a full impression of just how hard Eyeteeth are pushing during this song. I feel like the UK fastcore community has gone under the radar in recent years, except for the likes of Endless Swarm and Atomck (I’m probably missing out loads of others too) but hopefully these guys will change that. Closer ‘Wreck Head’  finishes things up in exactly the right way by inducing pure mayhem.  

State Funeral takes what Eyeteeth did on Straight Edge Violence and dials it up several notches, The noise, the urgency and the precision make it the perfect 5” release. It’s great to see a band being this productive as well, as it means you can’t ignore or forget about them! Brilliant stuff.

There's no full pre-release stream up for this yet but you can hear some of it's track via Eyeteeth's Youtube channel here - https://www.youtube.com/@eyeteethxxx/videos.

Eyeteeth - https://eyeteeth.bandcamp.com

Eyeteeth - Straight Edge Violence (Exclusive artwork reveal and first review)

Labels: Then And Now Podcast

Formats: Vinyl/Digital

Release Date May-2023

Tracklist:

1. Savage Messiah

2. Bluebottle

3. Youthenized

4. Chain Whipped

5. Premium (dis)Content

6. Encased In Concrete

7. Flesh Trade

8. Labour Exchange

9. Wage War

10. Ironhide

I'm thrilled to be able to bring you an exclusive artwork reveal and review of a brand new, and as yet un-released EP from a brand new UK band. Little is known about Eyeteeth but they're a quartet and play straight edge powerviolence. This EP contains ten songs across ten minutes, so don't expect any pleasantries. Eyeteeth did release a demo back in July of last year and Straight Edge Violence will be released on vinyl, as well as digitally in May via Then And Now Podcast.

Eyeteeth are an “anti-state straight edge violence” band and their music portrays a distinct level of anger right from the off on opening track ‘Savage Messiah’, which at first has a hardcore-groove before transitioning into a much heavier beast. The vocals are fierce, matching the tempo and noise laid down by the percussion and guitars. The way that Eyeteeth instantly head straight into ‘Bluebottle’ is great to hear and there’s no time to breath during the song either. Thirty three seconds of blistering intensity.

With the initial barrage complete, ‘Youthenized’ switches formula and leads with an extended instrumental intro. It highlights how thick the riffs sound. When the full band kicks in, the percussion stands out as it’s delivered with such abandon. At times off-kilter but all the time blasting. Eyeteeth’s hardcore song-writing is properly solid on ‘Chain Whipped’ , which is full of UK punk grit and straightforward bite.

‘Premium (dis)Content’ is a great song-title and it matches the tone set by the lyrics, and the vocals, leading you into the second half of ‘Straight Edge Violence’ knowing exactly what you’ve got yourself into. There’s something noticeably menacing about this EP and mood it creates, which is magnified the further you go. ‘Encased In Concrete’ is a case in point, especially when it slows towards the end. Claustrophobia comes to mind before you’re snapped out of it by ‘Flesh Trade’ and it’s change of pace. This song reminds me of the great gigs that used to happen in Leeds, with line-ups chock full of DIY PV/hardcore bands that played hard and fast. 

Grinding almost death-like heaviness awaits on ‘Labour Exchange; but only for a short time before Eyeteeth’s hardcore takes hold again. Don’t take my over-analysing too seriously though, give it a listen for yourself. Penultimate rager ‘Wage Way’ allows for no distraction and ‘Ironhide’ is the moshable ending that all EPs should include. 

It’s hard to write about fast releases, much easier to just listen and multiple listens will reveal much more to Eyeteeth. A band definitely born out of the current discontent that envelops our country, yet one that does also bring positivity (though it’s hidden deep down). Keep a look out for the EP when it drops in May (pre-orders are due to start in April).

You can stream Eyeteeth's four-track demo from last year below and grab it as a name-your-price download too:-

Eyeteeth Instagram - eyeteethstraightegde

Then And Now Podcast Instagram - thenandnowpodcast

Special thanks go to Eyeteeth for allowing me to do this.

Stomach - Demo

Labels: Practiced Hatred Fanzine & Records/Dry Cough Records

Formats: Tape/Digital

Release Date: 14 Jan 2022

Tracklist:-

1. Deserve

2. Loom

3. Oil

4. Delirium Of Negation

The dark, dingy nights of (very) early November have hit me hard. To stave off the long winter days ahead, I'm going to be reaching for heavier and darker music like that which appears on the debut demo from US sludge band Stomach. This demo was originally released on tape back in January via US fanzine/label Practiced Hatred Records before UK label Dry Cough Records did a pressing in March. Stomach has links to some fairly well known US grind/pv bands, but that's all I'm going to say on the matter as I want you to treat them on their own merit if you're hearing them for the first time.

This tape definitely harks back to the earlier releases from Dry Cough Records (whom I purchased a copy from). It’s slow, sludgy but with occasional blasts of pace on opener ‘Deserve’. The instrumentation is very bass-heavy and is laden with feedback. The percussion is much more akin to funeral doom in it’s delivery and the vocals are used sparingly, but when they are they’re scathing. The further you get into the song, the more drone-like it becomes.

‘Loom’ is the antithesis of ‘Deserve’ with it’s noisy, fast stop/start approach that ushers in a new and stark era of powerviolence. It’s an intense auditory experience that seems to come and go very quickly, especially given that the demo’s other three songs combined reach nearly thirty minutes. ’Oil’ is as thick as it’s viscous namesake sound-wise. Again, taking it’s cues from the slower end of doom/sludge, it’s harrowing tones are filled with yet more feedback and gargling bass. Is it too early to say that this demo rules? Whatever, I’ve said it now! 

Demo closer ‘Delirium Of Negation’ takes things to an even deeper level, mixing the aforementioned slow/droning tempos with the noisier more frightening textures that were present on ‘Loom’, thus creating something that’s hard to turn away from. As with the preceding songs, this one is so downtuned that it makes Stomach sound even more miserable than longtime genre torchbearers Primitive Man. This demo is a bit of a game changer for me.

I do like taking plenty of time to listen to releases now before writing about them, which is something I haven’t done very frequently in the past. This demo has been a constant listen over the past few months especially. Just something about it keeps me coming back. There’s a full-length on the way at some point, so get yourselves prepared by spinning this if you haven’t done so already.

You can stream and purchase this demo digitally from Stomach below:-

Stomach - Instagram: @stomachdoom

Physical tape copies are still available from Dry Cough Records below:-

https://www.drycoughrecords.com/product/stomach-demo-cassette-dc56

Practiced Hatred Fanzine & Records - https://www.facebook.com/Practicedhatredfanzine

Dry Cough Records - https://www.facebook.com/DryCoughRecords

Hive Mind - Demo

Labels: Zegema Beach Records

Formats: Tape/Digital

Release Date: 04 Feb 2016

Tracklist:

1. An Ambiguous Utopia

2. Meat Hook

3. The Duality Of (un)Man

4. Time Cube

5. Hyperdrive

When I sat down to write my Mrtex/Kelut review the other day, I noticed that I'd missed a release before it. That release was the demo by US pv/screamo band Hive Mind. It was self-released digitally by the band and released on tape via Zegema Beach Records back in February of 2016. According to both band and label, ZBR's first batch of tapes were mostly blank and didn't play, so a fresh batch was pressed in late 2020. I'm not sure CanaDave will appreciate me mentioning that! I'm sorry, I just like to add some detail here and there.

I’m kicking off two weeks of annual leave tonight and I couldn’t be happier! I’ve been writing about historic ZBR releases for some time now, but somehow I missed this one so I’m putting things right here and now. Five short tracks of pv/emoviolence/screamo make up this early demo from US band Hive Mind. Opener ‘An Ambiguous Utopia’ is certainly noisy and chaotic. Hive Mind’s own take on the style is harsh yet pleasingly riff-laden. 

‘Meat Hook’ follows on from a short screech of guitar feedback in similarly abrasive fashion. Kind of like The Body in terms of it’s vocal ferocity, it’s angular post-hardcore reigns supreme. The bass and percussion seem to add so much as well, which is very noticeable. After more of that lovely feedback the rawness of ‘The Duality Of (un)Man’ is still a shock. I really would’ve loved to have witnessed Hive Mind in a live setting back when this demo was released. It would have been something special for sure.

The demo’s final two songs don’t reach the minute mark, starting with ‘Time Cube’, which slays from start to finish. Hive Mind’s hardcore influence is genuinely captivating even though their songs contain so much in such a short space of time. Final song ‘Hyperdrive’ is the best song to end on! Utterly mad from beginning to end, the authoritative percussion takes over and leads you into a mesmerising second-half, which concludes as it all started.

I’m so glad I didn’t wait to re-visit this demo. Aside from the split 7” they released with What Of Us, this demo is the only material you can find from Hive Mind, which makes it all the more special. I’ve always maintained that it’s better for bands to burn out rather than to outstay their welcome and fade away. I’m sure that Hive Mind still have music is them (as they haven’t officially ceased as far as I can tell), but if we never get the chance to hear more, this release will provide auditory comfort for years to come, especially to those who managed to snag a tape copy!

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

Physical copies can be purchased from Zegema Beach Records below:-

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

USA Store - https://zbrusa.com/collections/zbr-releases/products/hive-mind-demo-cassette

Hive Mind - https://www.facebook.com/hivemindin/

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