Skipping Stone - Hurricanes & Hand Grenades

Labels: Self-Released

Formats: CD/Digital

Release Date: 05 Aug 2022

Tracklist:

1. Quietus

2. Sink Or Swim

3. Hurricane

4. So Far Gone

Kentucky, USA's Skipping Stone will be playing alongside Puddle Of Mudd this Friday. Say want you want about the headline band, but that's a pretty big deal. Add to that the fact that they've also played alongside Escape The Fate, I Set My Friends On Fire and have a recommended band in the form of Cold listed at the bottom of their bandcamp page, and they've clearly got something going for them. Skipping Stone released two EPs this year, starting with Monsters Of Men in March prior to Hurricanes & Hand Grenades in August. They cover a whole musical gamut from 80s Hard Rock to metalcore and are a new name to me.

I’ll be honest, I was secretly hoping that Skipping Stone wouldn’t sound like a poor example of nu-metal and thankfully they don’t. EP opener ‘Quietus’ is clean and very uptempo, with a modern alt-rock influence and catchiness. Heavy and crunching at times, with a nod towards Billy Talent too.’Sink Or Swim’ begins with the well used (WWE entrance inducing) air raid siren intro before launching into a moody metal song that reminds me of System Of Down in places. I’m sorry for all the comparisons here, it’s not me being disrespectful to the band, it’s just what I hear.

One thing’s for sure, Skipping Stone clearly have a lot of talent. ‘Hurricane’ is a proper festival sing-along anthem with just the right amount of angst. The clean vocals throughout the song and the EP in general are brilliant, as are the rest of the band. This makes me nostalgic as a lot of the music that formed my early metal listening habits came thanks to bands like Cold, Sevendust and Soil etc. I’m not for one second saying that Skipping Stone are trying to mimic those bands, but there is that same feel when listening to them.

EP closer ‘So Far Gone’ takes Hurricanes & Hand Grenades on a final mid-paced alt-rock trip and it rounds things out perfectly, showing again the quality of the band’s song-writing. You might not find this EP to be overly original style-wise, but one things for sure, it has a lot of heart and might just be what you need to reignite your passion for those forgotten gems (and for discovering new bands like Skipping Stone too!).

You can stream 'Hurricane' and purchase EP on cd, as well as digitally below:-

Skipping Stone - https://www.facebook.com/SkippingStoneOfficial

Khôrada - Salt

Labels: Prophecy Productions

Formats: Vinyl/CD/Digital

Release Date: 20 Jul 2018

Tracklist:

1. Edeste

2. Seasons Of Salt

3. Water Rights

4. Glacial Gold

5. Augustus

6. Wave State

7. Ossify

Khôrada is a new and highly anticipated project featuring the instrumental backbone of the sadly departed Agalloch and the lungs behind Giant Squid. "Salt" is due for official release tomorrow on vinyl, cd and digital platforms via German label Prophecy Productions. The band has not given away anything regarding their chosen genre as far as I can tell, preferring instead to let their music on this debut do the talking, but given their collective past, this record should be something to behold. I don't often feel pressure when writing a review but sometimes a little is healthy.

The journey into extreme music can often be perilous and fraught with sounds that are outside of your comfort zone. The deeper you delve though the more at ease you become. Thank god then for Khôrada, who are adding to 2018’s expanding experimental, progressive and uncategorisable musical landscape. The record’s opener Edeste covers a lot of ground with elements of psych, doom and heavy metal alongside melody and off-kilter time signatures. They do retain some folk tendencies though they are less obvious during initial listens. There’s a great level of continuation between the opener and Seasons Of Salt, which itself is considerably heavier, at least in it’s opening bars. The vocal melodies that follow are soothing and the instrumentation is thoughtful to that dynamic. There’s also a sense of Americana that flows within the music that really gets you. I’ve mentioned a lot of different genres/sub-genres so far in this review and at the end of the day music is subjective, so I’ll let you make your own minds up about it. Droning guitar and noise opens Water Rights, which itself turns into a groovy number with a penchant for noise-rock. Khôrada likes to you keep you guessing and that’s the great thing about them. It’s so easy to get lost in their songs. 

They know how to choose song titles as well, as Glacial Gold is as majestic and earthy as it’s name doth suggest. The band’s folk touches work well during the quieter passages while there’s mesmeric quality throughout making it hard to ignore. The fact that vocalist Aaron John Gregory refrains from  using truly extreme growls/screams means that there’s a sense of challenging accessibility to it. The melodic guitar work is at it’s peak here as well and the band seems to have found their groove in fine form. They take time to include a short but swirling song in the form Augustus, which is acoustic and  beautiful and leads nicely into the lengthier Wave Slate, which features the addition of brass tones (a trumpet or cornet maybe? Please correct me if I’m way off the mark here). This song plays on the band’s collective progressive past and it works very well indeed. It neither sounds too modern or too old and originality is a key to it’s enjoyability. Synths add atmosphere to album closer Ossify and help to promote yet more progression alongside, dare I say it, some catchier pop-like subtlety. Given that it’s the longest song on “Salt”, it’s movements are seamless and there’s no skipping it’s infectious nature. 2018 already feels like a blue riband year and Khôrada only adds to that. This is great and fully worth your attention.

You can stream Seasons Of Salt, Glacial Gold and Ossify prior to the album's release tomorrow,  below:-

"Salt" is available digitally above and also physically from Prophecy Productions here - http://en.prophecy.de/artists/khorada/khorada-salt.html

Khôrada - https://www.facebook.com/khorada/
Prophecy Productions - https://www.facebook.com/prophecyproductions/

Pandemix - Rank & File b/w Second Opinion 7"

Labels: Dirt Cult Records

Formats: Vinyl/Digital

Release Date: 16 Mar 2018

Tracklist:

1. Rank & File

2. Second Opinion

I'm celebrating the end of the working week with this new 7" from Boston (Mass) punks Pandemix. I first heard about this band thanks to Boss Tuneage Records, who release their "Pathological Culture" EP on 7" flexi. I picked it up along with a few other flexis and while I must have missed the boat on last year's "Scale Models Of Atrocities" full-length, I'm trying to make up for it now. Pandemix has been a band since 2016 and add an extra edge to the USA's ever growing punk scene.

Pandemix plays awesome punk with heaps of melody and attitude. Rank & File goes harder than I was expecting but the queer punk that’s the mainstay of their sound keeps it all grounded. The lyrics are highly political too, raging against the racist actions of US police and the idle attitudes of the white majority.

Second Opinion features the same gritty attitude and furious rhythms. the instrumentation is exactly what you want from a chaotic punk like this. The drums and bass keeps things nice and tight while the guitar work switches between melodic chords and hardcore-punk riffs. The vocals are delivered in a sassy but moody style that works really well set against the music. 

Punk is more relevant now than it’s ever been and with bands like Pandemix writing it’s future history, it’s in safe hands. 

You can stream and purchase the 7" digitally below:-

Pandemix - https://pandemixsite.wordpress.com

You can buy physical copies of the 7" via the links below:-

Pandemix webstore - http://pandemix.storenvy.com

Dirt Cult Records - https://store.greennoiserecords.com/collections/dirt-cult-records

Dirt Cult Records - https://www.facebook.com/dirtcultrecords/

Malformity - The Rapturous Unraveling 7"

Labels: Boris Records

Formats: Vinyl/Digital

Release Date: 13 Jan 2018

Tracklist:

1. Rapturous Damnation

2. Unraveling

I've been watching a few Youtube videos by a black/death metal fan who goes by the name of "Scourge Of Vinyl" recently and because of him, I've been rediscovering a lot of killer bands and also felt eager to discover those that are new to me. Atlanta, Georgia's Malformity is one such band. They formed in the early 90s, releasing a demo called "Black Holes To Heaven" before calling it a day in 1995. Two decades later they returned and released an EP called "Lectures On The Apocalypse", which coincidentally was the name of a band that featured founding Guitarist/Vocalist Dan Ratanasit. "The Rapturous Unraveling", their latest release, came out in January on Boris Records. To celebrate this new 7", they played a January Boris Records showcase in Atlanta and they're due to play alongside both Cannabis Corpse and Brutality soon as well.

Malformity plays a brutal but old-school form of death metal. Opener song Rapturous Damnation is filled with furious blasts, technical but headbang-able riffs and guttural vocals. Members of Malformity have previously spent time in bands such as General Surgery and Regurgitate, so they know their way around death metal pretty damn well and it shows. The twin-guitar melodies and brooding atmosphere in the latter half of Rapturous Damnation is good enough to break up the brutality while also adding an extra spectacle to the music.

They weave hints of Swe-death into the intro of Unraveling, which is mixed in with extreme USDM to great effect. There’s personality in the music, which can be lacking in certain areas of the death metal genre nowadays. The underlying melody and Malformity’s ability to fit a lot into a relatively short space of time are skills that set them apart. All in all this is damn solid death metal played properly. The US is filled with so many bands vying for the same listeners but it’s bands like Malformity that really deserve the attention.

You can stream "The Rapturous Unraveling" via Malformity's bandcamp below, where you can also purchase it digitally and on 7" vinyl:-

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

You can also buy the 7" from Boris Records here - https://borisrecords.bandcamp.com/merch

Boris Records - https://www.facebook.com/borisrecordsatl/

Hammr - Unholy Destruction

Labels: Hells Headbangers

Formats: Vinyl/CD/Tape/Digital

Release Date: 23 Feb 2018

Tracklist:

1. Intro

2. Satanic Raid

3. Under Black Command

4. Eternal Prey

5. Desecrator

6. Sadistic Poison

7. Death Reign

8. Unholy Destruction

9. Demonic Rites

10. Into The Pentagram

11. Final Sacrifice

Tonight is reserved for a journey into hell. The vessel of choice for that journey is the newest LP by Cleveland, Ohio's black/speed/punk entity Hammr. Having formed in 2013 under the name Schizoid Hammer, sole contributor J. Hammer altered the band's moniker and released a self-titled EP in 2015. A demo called "Into The Pentragram" swiftly followed a year later, before debut album "Unholy Destruction" was brought to unsuspecting ears by Hells Headbangers earlier this year. Hammr has connections to fellow Hells Headbangers band Demona and revels in all things occult and fast.

“Unholy Destruction” kicks off with an Intro that sounds absolutely perfect. The guitar riffs and the mixing/mastering of Commandor Vanik and Joel Grind respectively make the hairs stand on the back of your neck. The volume is high yet the pace gives no clue as to the madness to come. Satanic Raid is the first song proper and it rips with lashings of punk, thrash and black metal mayhem. The reverb on the vocals, which sit deep in the mix, fit the underground atmosphere of Hammr like a studded and spike-covered glove. On Under Black Command, J. Hammer channels the energy of classic Motorhead and label mates Nunslaughter into a galloping, headbanging rager. 

The speed metal of Hammr is obviously prominent throughout and Eternal Prey is a prime example. There’s absolutely no let up during this song, with the low-end rumbling away at a ridiculous pace while the screeching solo gives no rest. It’s one of only two songs that pass the three-minute mark, which should give you a clue as to the intentions of the band. At times Hammr sounds more akin to the early speed metal originators from Brazil and other parts of South America, especially during Desecrator. This record flies by and it’s the succinct manner in which J. Hammer delivers his songs that make it so listenable. Sadistic Poison is like a Wurlitzer to the face, that keeps on going even when there’s no face left to damage. 

Talking of damage…Death Reign inflicts it with one of the best old-school solo’s period. The drumming ain’t bad either. The title-track features a repetitive string of riffs that scream punk and cause involuntary whiplash. The whole album is really catchy, in a perverse sort of way, as illustrated by Demonic Rites. The record gets even more bonkers on penultimate track Into The Pentagram, the screaming lead guitar fading in and out as J. Hammer cycles through countless scales and finger picks to within an inch of his life. Album closer Final Sacrifice ends the madness the only way it can, with more! Hammr definitely produces speed metal that’s filled with variation and genuine grin-inducing musicality. As far as this sub-genre goes, you’ll be hard pressed to find a better record this year. 

You can stream "Unholy Destruction" and purchase it on all formats below:-

Hammr - https://www.facebook.com/Hammr666/

Hells Headbangers - https://www.facebook.com/hellsheadbangers/

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

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

Formats: Vinyl/Digital

Release Date: 04 Sep 2017

Tracklist:

1. Untold Want - Nameless/Formless

2. Untold Want - Bright As Ash

3. Untold Want - Soft Veils

4. Untold Want - Second Child

5. Ostraca - Against Decency

6. Ostraca - So Do I

7. Vril - Sacrosanct

8. Vril - Vemodalen

9. Vril - Mirrorshield

10. Coma Regalia - Convince

11. Coma Regalia - Destroy

12. Coma Regalia - Release

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

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

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

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

You can stream "Yarrow" below:-

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

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

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

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

Physical copies can be purchased from the labels below:-

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

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

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

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

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

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

Grave Spirit - The Beast Unburdened By Flesh 7"

Labels: Iron Bonehead Productions

Formats: Vinyl/Digital

Release Date: 07 Feb 2018

Tracklist:

1. Absorbing Essence From Underneath

2. Beast Unburdened By Flesh

I am overly tired right now, thanks to a very early start that forced me to go back to bed. As a result I feel like death, so the only way to overcome that feeling is to blast some sickening US black metal. This time I chose new trio Grave Spirit and their Iron Bonehead Production debut, "The Beast Unburdened By Flesh". The artwork struck me instantly as I'm a sucker for purple on black sleeves. As I mentioned above, Grave Spirit is a fairly new entity and shares members with the likes of Death Fortress and Draghkar amongst many others. 

Sickening might not have been the best adjective to use when describing Grave Spirit, but they’re certainly nasty (in a good way). The rawness of 7” opener Absorbing Essence From Underneath is plain to hear, as the guitars add both riff and hiss, while the drums offer raging cymbal crashes and the vocals are delivered with hellish ferocity. Pure and filthy underground US black metal its best. 

The 7”s title-track is a slower and more sludgy affair initially, with the trio’s musicality at its forefront. No holds are barred and Grave Spirit allow their instrumentation to rule over the song more. Those gnarly growls are still present and correct, but it shows a slightly different side to the band. It’s a belter and it underlines the excitement that’s growing around Grave Spirit in underground circles. The 7” is a statement of intent and one that shows off just how good USBM will be in 2018.

You can stream "The Beast Unburdened By Flesh" below via Iron Bonehead Productions, where it's also available to purchase on vinyl and digitally:-

Grave Spirit - https://www.facebook.com/gravespiritband/

Iron Bonehead Productions - https://www.facebook.com/IronBoneheadProductions/

Spectral Lore/Jute Gyte - Helian

Labels: I, Voidhanger Records

Formats: CD/Digital

Release Date: 19 Jan 2018

Tracklist: 

1. Jute Gyte - Helian

2. Spectral Lore - Helian

This new two-song split comes from Greek band Spectral Lore and the USA'a Jute Gyte. Both bands play extreme, atmospheric black metal of sorts and this release sees them both re-imagining the 1913 poem "Helian" by Austrian poet Georg Trakl. The split has been released via I, Voidhanger Records on both CD and digital platforms. Spectral Lore was created by sole-member Ayloss in 2005 and to date, the band has released four full-lengths and countless splits and EPs. Jute Gyte, also a one-piece and started by Adam Kalmbach, has released a vast number of full-lengths, splits and EPs. 

This record begins with Jute Gyte’s musical interpretation of Helian. Jute Gyte presents it in a droning, misery-drenched way. The main backbone of the song is doom-like bass/guitar and percussion, interspersed with harsh black metal vocals and organ-like synths. It varies in pace, with the fast sections becoming almost fit-inducing thanks to what sounds like a drum machine that’s set to warp speed. Experimentation is at the forefront of both Jute Gyte’s music and this song. The song is lengthy so thankfully the tempo and mood changes are at points that will maintain the interest of the listener, without turning them off due to it’s extremity. 

The soothing guitar that opens up Spectral Lore’s take on Helian is surely there to draw you into a false sense of security. It’s incredibly musical yet the sense of foreboding that filled the air during Jute Gyte’s song is still there and it’s not long before more feed-back drenched notes fill your ears. Again it’s doom-filled but more restrained as well. The spoken-word sample/vocals sit within the mix before giving way to rasping growls. At times it’s more introspective and relaxing (if I can say that), with less reliance on bold and extreme musical shifts. The song kind of splits in to two movements, as around ten minutes in there’s a very brief moment of silence. That silence gives way to riffy blackened doom, amongst the band’s atmospheric textures.

My futile attempt to write a synopsis of this record is plain to see. It has two very different sides to it though. One is bizarre and extreme, while the other is more insightful and relaxing (in a strange way). It’s a record that you’ll need to listen to yourself, to truly appreciate. Needless to say, it’s inspiring. 

You can stream "Helian" and purchase it on CD and digitally below:-

Jute Gyte - https://jutegyte.bandcamp.com

Spectral Lore - https://spectrallore.bandcamp.com

I, Voidhanger Records - https://www.facebook.com/i.voidhanger.records/

SeeYouSpaceCowboy - Fashion Statements Of The Socially Aware + Cassingle

Labels: Zegema Beach Records/React With Protest/Structures//Agony Records/Contrition Recordings/Middle-Man Records/Dog Knights Productions

Formats: Vinyl/Tape/Digital

Release Date: 03 Jun 2017

Tracklist:

1. An Introduction For People Who Hate Introductions

2. Jimmy Buffet Doesn't Even Surf

3. Soap Opera Stardom Is A Single Tear Drop Away

4. Pep Talk From A Nihilist

5. Fashion Statements Of The Socially Aware

6. Absolutely Absolute Absolution

If you miss the Myspace days and listen to Mathcore Index's Mathcast, you'll likely be aware of the current crop of insane, fast and gnarly screamo/violent hardcore bands that are coming through. SeeYouSpaceCowboy are one of those bands and they're on a very upward trajectory. They released their first demo in 2016 and followed it up with this 7" last year, which received two pressings via a collaboration of no less than six DIY labels. As a band they are standing up against social injustices within their scene, which is noticeable in both their song-titles/lyrics and in the way they conduct themselves. 

The first thing that immediately stands out for me with SeeYouSpaceCowboy is the eye-catching artwork on the sleeve of the 7”. The first pressing was bright yellow, while the second pressing is a bright intense pink. I’m okay with colourful presentation, as it makes a change from black and white. Songs-wise, SYSC don’t hang about. An Introduction For People Who Hate Introductions is a sixty-second blast of off-kilter, angular grind violence with solid screamo sensibilities. Plenty of math-like time signatures, trebly riffs, seriously uptempo percussion and a lung busting vocal delivery, which is the icing on this particular cake. Jimmy Buffet Doesn’t Even Surf is somehow heavier and more intense with the entire band working together to unsettle you. Trying to keep up with the music while typing this review is not easy. Soap Opera Stardom Is A Single Tear Drop Away highlights just how much they can fit into a song and shows that while the music may seem chaotic and un-structured, it’s actually quite the opposite. SYSC are incredibly tight musicians and they have to be with the amount of precision that’s present in these short grinding bursts. 

Pep Talk From A Nihilist has a garage-punk feel initially before turning into a breakdown-filled beast with low death metal grunts at times. The title-track is a trade-off between mathcore and introspective emo, but with gang vocals. When things do explode towards the end, you’re not sure which way is up and what you’re listening to. It’s a little ironic of me to say at this point that they’re impossible to truly pin down musically (when I’ve tried my best so far), but the truth is that they’re playing what they want to and are taking us along for the ride. Absolutely Absolute Absolution typifies that point as it closes out this mesmeric and jarring EP. SeeYouSpaceCowboy are nothing short of amazing at what they do. There’s a tidal wave flowing through the underground scene and this quintet are at it’s tip, waiting to wash away any opposition in their path.

Stream "FSOTSA" and purchase a download or one of the band's four remaining 7"s below:-

Labels: Self-Released/Zegema Beach Records

Formats: 7" Lathe/Tape/Digital

Release Date: 02 Nov 2017

Tracklist:

1. Atrocities From A Story Book Perspective

This special single-song release was recorded by the band, shortly after having their trailer and gear stolen while on tour last summer. The band has released it digitally and via a specially pressed 7" lathe cut, while Zegema Beach Records has released a limited run of tapes. Both of which have sold out from SYSC themselves. I felt it was more than worthwhile tagging a small write-up of the single  onto the end of this piece. 

In a time when CD singles seem to be dying a slow death, it’s cool to see bands and labels finding more artistic ways to release single songs. That’s what both SeeYouSpaceCowboy and Zegema Beach Records have done here. SYSC release “Atrocities From A Story Book Perspective” on a very limited run of 20 7” lathes with screen-printed b-sides, while Zegema Beach went with the cassingle option. This song is pissed straight from the off but retains a slight garage-punk vibe. Swirling with feedback and chugging riffs it’s a lot angrier and more hardcore orientated. As soon as it’s started, it finished. Such a cool idea and a release that will no doubt be lauded by fans and sold for extortionate amounts on Discogs in the future (completely against everything the release stands for). Support SYSC.

Stream the song and support SeeYouSpaceCowboy by purchasing a download here:-

SeeYouSpaceCowboy - https://www.facebook.com/seeyouspacecowboyca/

Check the below links for availability of both releases (these are the labels that still have copies left):-

Zegema Beach Records - http://www.zegemabeachrecords.com/zegema-beach-releases/

React With Protest - http://www.reactwithprotest.org/store.php

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

Dog Knights Productions - http://dogknightsproductions.limitedrun.com

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

React With Protest - https://www.facebook.com/ReactwithProtest

Structure//Agony Records - https://www.facebook.com/structuresagonyrecords

Contrition Recordings - https://www.facebook.com/contritionrecordings/

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

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

Escape Is Not Freedom/Dusk Village - Split

Labels: Self-Released

Formats: Tape/Digital

Release Date: 23rd Feb 2018

Tracklist:

1. Escape Is Not Freedom - Boiling Nails

2. Escape Is Not Freedom - We're Wrecked

3. Dusk Village - Exolife Civilization Leak

4. Dusk Village - A Self-Fan

Noise-rock and the USA are very familiar bedfellows, as you'll probably know. From Nirvana and The  Melvins carving out a space in modern music history for grunge, to the more obscure yet ultimately prolific bands like Unsane and These Arms Are Snakes (as well as countless others), there's always been exciting music bubbling under the surface. Cue two new acts in the form of Escape Is Not Freedom and Dusk Village. Both bands feature members from some already established (and heavy) US bands including Arctic Sleep and Rabies Caste, and this split tape features debut recordings from both. It's due for release on February 23rd. 

Escape Is Not Freedom takes you on a trip that gathers together grunge, noisy driving rock and  elements that might remind you of Deftones (perhaps). The trio creates a really punishing wall of noise with the guitars and drums sounding almost industrial at times. There is some melody deep in the mix but the vocals mask that with megaphone-like volume on opener Boiling Nails. Their second song We’re Wrecked is more laid back initially and the added vocals provided by Emily Jancetic provide an entirely new perspective on EINF’s music. It’s a clever opposite to the brashness of Boiling Nails yet it too serves up it’s own harsh atmosphere. Their music takes you back to generation of bands and a sound that's gradually being eaten away by increased technicality and clinical recordings techniques. 

Dusk Village's description of playing “metal but not for metalheads” is an apt one, as they embark on Exolife Civilization Leak. It contains doom/sludge instrumentation and low deep bellows that are akin to black metal vocals. That’s not a surprise given the band’s affiliation to Tangorodrim but Dusk Village definitely has it’s own personality. Again a trio that manages to produce deafening volume. A Self-Fan is like a different song altogether with a proper garage/surf-rock vibe going on and an off-kilter tempo that adds energy and urgency to it. Dusk Village (like EINF) manages to put together two very different sounding songs that still sit well together and are proof that experimentation and variation are very good things.

This split may be one of the most left-field releases you hear this year, but over and above that it’s exciting to hear two bands that clearly enjoy creating great music as much as playing it. I hope both Escape Is Not Freedom and Dusk Village stick around for a while yet, as they’ll be very much welcomed.

You can stream EINF's "Boiling Nails" and Dusk Village's "Exolife Civilization Leak" below:-

You can currently pre-order the tape version from EINF's bandcamp page above.

Escape Is Not Freedom - https://www.facebook.com/EscapeisnotFreedom/

Dusk Village - https://www.facebook.com/dusK.Village/