The Ultimate Screamo Band - Tout Est Fini

Labels: A Fond d'Cale/Dingleberry Records/Dasein Records/Friendly Otter/Polar Summer/Sunsetter Records/Ultimo Violence/Zegema Beach Records

Formats: Vinyl/Digital

Release Date: 26 Feb 2018

Tracklist:

1. Tout Est Fini

2. Thanatophobe

3. En Consequence

4. Un Cri de Défaite

5. Combien

6. Téméraire Et Timoré

7. D'enfant Fragile

8. Ne Change Rein

9. A L'article de L'amour

10. Inconditionnel Passe

Having previously reviewed both the 2015 7"/Tape EP La Saison Du Champignon and the 2017 split 7" with Lora as part part of my ongoing ZBR roster review series, I was eventually going to come up to The Ultimate Screamo Band's 2018 (and final) release Tout Est Fini, that was pressed as a single-sided 10" record in February 2018. Released through the collaboration of 8 DIY record labels, it was limited to 300 copies featuring 3 differently coloured covers. 10 emoviolence songs on one side of wax. Perfect.

Being able to keep up with and review a record where most of the songs last less than sixty seconds is tough. Tout Est Fini is made up of exactly that, starting with the title track ‘Tout Est Fini’, which features a lengthy sample leading to a latter half that’s filled with brief but chaotic emoviolence, that set’s the stall out for this release. ‘Thanatophobe’ starts as it’s predecessor finished but with a more post-hardcore/metal vibe.

In fact, all of the songs here make up one whole and ‘En Consequence’ shows TUSB’s song-writing to be more than just maddening screamo, as it features more sensitive musical elements and a slightly calmer influence as a result. ‘Un Cri de Défaite’ is a varied listen with fast/slow dynamics working really well. TUSB must be considered champions of the French-Canadian screamo community and if they’re not, it’s a travesty.

The sheer moments of beauty that flow from this record are subtle but brilliant, as evidenced on ‘Combien’ with it’s almost Coilguns/Knut/The Ocean post-metal riffage that seems to almost slow the tempo down, without actually doing so. Being followed up by the no-holds-barred ’Téméraire Et Timoré’, it feels like a world away.

The record’s shortest song blends into it’s longest song and with that, ‘D’enfant Fragile’ is a fuzzy guitar instrumental that bursts into a furious explosion of raw energy from the band. It exhibits their true love of anticipation inducing build-ups, which has been there all along to be honest and is used one again on ‘Ne Change RIen’ to accent the latter halves madness.

Penultimate song ‘A L'article de L'amour’ is more straight-forward in that it hits hard a lot sooner, though TUSB’s off-kilter hardcore approach later on brings about a beaming smile that lasts into closer ‘Inconditionnel Passe’ thanks to the repeated riff that bridges the two. It’s a dramatic way to end but also a true showing of the band’s ability to generate atmosphere and emotion. 

There you have it, the final release from The Ultimate Screamo Band (probably). It would have been amazing to hear the band go in a more expansive direction, but that’s just me talking. What has been left is still and always will be amazing.

You can stream Tout Est Fini and purchase it as a name-your-price download below:-

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

Sunsetter Records - https://sunsetterrecords.limitedrun.com/the-ultimate-screamo-band-tout-est-fini

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

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

Friendly Otter - https://www.facebook.com/friendlyotterrex

Sunsetter Records - https://www.facebook.com/SunsetterRecords

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

Lora/The Ultimate Screamo Band - Split 7"

Labels: A Fond d'Cale/Desordre Ordonne/Dingleberry Records/Friendly Otter/GBS Records/KeepHope Productions/Polar Summer/Pure Heart Records/Ultimo Violence/Zegema Beach Records

Formats: Vinyl/Digital

Release Date: 21 Feb 2017

Tracklist:

1. Lora - Сны

2. Lora - Пески

3. Lora - Смута

4. The Ultimate Screamo Band - Élevé Au Porc

5. The Ultimate Screamo Band - Hypertonie

6. The Ultimate Screamo Band - Lettre Violente

7. The Ultimate Screamo Band - L'ingénierie Sociale Vs L'ingéniosité

8. The Ultimate Screamo Band - Singularité Instrumentale

9. The Ultimate Screamo Band - À Mon Père

I've got a free day today so trying be productive early doors (that's a British saying for those that don't understand it, which relates to getting somewhere earlier than normal and I think it refers more to our drinking culture!). Anyway, as I was saying, I wanted to be productive today so I'm starting with a review of this split from 2017, that featured Russian screamo/hardcore band Lora and also Canadian screamo/emoviolence solo project The Ultimate Screamo Band. There were 325 copies of the split pressed with three different covers. It was a collaborative release by ten labels.

This split was Lora’s last release, according to their bandcamp page. During their relatively short tenure, they also released an EP in May 2015. I’ve always found Russian bands to have a raw yet melodic approach and Lora are certainly no different here. ‘Сны’ is a fierce opener from them, featuring intense emoviolence. ‘Пески’ leaves no time to regain breath as it instantly takes over from the opener. It’s grinding, off-kilter approach is joined by chaotic guitar and swirling, anguished screams. It’s really good, despite the fairly short running time. Their final song ‘Смута’ is menacing at first, before Lora launches into their final tome of blistering screamo madness. These three songs really hit hard.

The Ultimate Screamo Band follow Lora with six songs, though two-thirds of those don’t pass the minute mark. ‘Élevé Au Porc’ opens TUSB’s side in slightly bizarre fashion, with an intro that kind of sounds like it belongs in a poorly dubbed Japanese martial arts movie. What follows is a barrage of everything that makes screamo so good. I guess that’s what the band set out to do in the end! ‘Hypertonie’ provides a truly dramatic soundscape during it’s brief playing time, with very short moments of introspection before ‘Lettre Violente’ comes into view. It starts off gently, before a stop/start layer flows into music that gets faster and faster, before silence.

During a brief pause in the music at this point, I thought it would be great idea to scratch my forehead (literally) but because I’m a Brit and because we’re not used to the sun being out ever, I remember that my face is sun burnt. What follows is a seemingly lingering burning sensation. That previous bit of verbal diarrhoea has absolutely nothing to do with ‘L’ingénierie Sociale Vs L'ingéniosité’ though, which is pretty much over before you know it. Bloody solid though. ‘Singularité Instrumentale’ sees a shift in TSUB’s sound, with an instrumental song that has more of a calm atmosphere, albeit for a short while as split closer ‘À Mon Père’ puts pay to any sort of relaxing finish as one final blast of screamo/emoviolence bursts through the speakers.

The split 7” format does is again! Bringing together two bands from different corners of the world, drawing in new listeners and offering an enthralling listen. Neither band is active now (as far I know) but this is still a very worthy body of work, if you can track one down!

For Fans Of: Loma Prieta, Systral, Tenure, Portrayal Of Guilt & Infant Island

You can stream both sides for the split via Lora's and TUSB's respective bandcamp pages below, where both sides are also available to grab as a name-your-price downloads:-

Most of the releasing labels have either sold out of 7"s or closed; however, a small amount of remaining copies can be purchased from Friendly Otter below:-

Friendly Otter - https://friendlyotter.bandcamp.com/album/fo-85-split-7

A Fond d'Cale - https://www.facebook.com/afonddcaleprod

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

Friendly Otter - https://www.facebook.com/friendlyotterrex

GBS Records - https://www.facebook.com/GBS-Records

KeepHope Productions - https://www.facebook.com/KeepHopeProductions

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

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

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

The Ultimate Screamo Band - La Saison Du Champignon

Labels: Desordre Ordonne/Friendly Otter/GBS Records/Zegema Beach Records/Adorno Records/Lead Rivers Records

Formats: Vinyl(Lathe)/Tape/Digital

Release Date: 13 Dec 2015

Tracklist:

1. La Raison Du Cabochon

2. Repenser

3. Bizarre Et Insistant

4. L'endette

5. Le Grand Suicide Pensant

I couldn't leave this review unpublished any longer, as I've writing and re-writing it for a few days now. This one is another Zegema Beach Records roster review, featuring French Canadian solo-screamo project The Ultimate Screamo Band. It's funny because the title of this release includes the name of my favourite type of beer as the moment (Saison), but that's a mere distraction. This EP was released back in late 2015 via a good few labels (all named above and according to Discogs). 

This EP’s playing time is less than five minutes it total, so I guess the fact that it was pressed onto a lathe cut 7” was due to it’s length (the tape copies were single-sided too, before you pull me up on that!). Opener ‘La Raison Du Cabochon’ is the essence of emoviolence, distilled into a sub one-minute song. Blistering instrumentation and vocals take no prisoners here.

‘Repenser’ is no different, albeit slightly longer. The vocals are way more piercing this time though, kinda reminding me of The Body (sorry for the unoriginal comparison). ‘Bizarre Et Insistant’ follows on immediately afterwards, providing no let up. It’s safe to say that The Ultimate Screamo Band might just be that! Trust me, they’re not boasting.

‘L’endette’ is musically brilliant from start to end and it proves once again that emoviolence/screamo can be beautiful, melodic and life-affirming all in one. EP closer ‘Le Grand Suicide Pensant’ is the longest song present on this release, clocking in at just under ninety seconds. Semantics aside, there’s a lo-fi quality to it’s beginning that makes you forget the caustic intensity that’s to come. 

La Saison Du Champignon goes by very quickly and definitely still holds up as the debut release from a band that turned up, destroyed everything and left (although the band isn’t fully gone). Emoviolence is fun. Be more like emoviolence.

You can stream the full EP and grab it as a free download below:-

The Ultimate Screamo Band - https://www.facebook.com/theultimatescreamoband

All physical copies of this EP are long sold-out, as far as I can tell.

Desordre Ordonne - https://cargocollective.com/desordreordonne

Friendly Otter - https://www.facebook.com/friendlyotterrex

GBS Records - https://www.facebook.com/GBS-Records

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

Adorno Records - https://adornorecords.bandcamp.com

Lead Rivers Records - https://leadriversrecords.bandcamp.com