The Infested - Raw Ensemble

Labels: EHC Records

 Formats: Vinyl/CD/Digital

Release Date: 21 May 2018

Tracklist:

1. Believe

2. Hoax

3. Shackles

4. Shackles (Part 2)

5. Fight Or Flight

6. Dopamine

7. Monsters

8. SSRI Or Die?

9. Buy To Survive

10. Another Life

11. Outro

12. Turn The Page (Demo/Bonus)

It's safe to say (and it has been said many time) that Leeds (West Yorkshire, England) has one of the best music scenes of anywhere in the UK. From the most extreme metal right down to the artiest punk, Leeds has so much to offer musically. It makes sense then for the city that gave birth to Slam Dunk festival to be producing punk rock and ska bands that could rival any band that appeared on that festival's stage in it's early days. The Infested have been building their brand of "Punk Rock Ska-Core" since 2003 and are due to release their third full-length "Raw Ensemble" in a couple of weeks. The album title bares a cheeky little nod to Slayer (War Ensemble anyone?), but the music could not be further removed.

My frame of reference when it comes to punk rock bands employing Ska is the likes of Mad Caddies and Less Than Jake, but I’m probably a bit out of touch with such bands in the UK. Believe proves that The Infested are all about fun, while having a serious message within their lyrics. The music is solid but the vocals take a bit of getting used to, even for someone who likes hardcore and noisy punk. On Hoax, the melody from the guitars and the grittiness of the band as whole is great. In fact they could be the UK’s answer to Zebrahead, but with more bite. In true punk fashion they don’t hang around at any point on this record. Shackles exhibits their instrumental song-writing, which is super good. Shackles (Part 2) is a ridiculously fast number that makes use of a lot of hardcore influence but retains the band’s infectious punk as well. 

By the time The Infested reaches Fight Or Flight, they seem to have definitely found their song-writing chops. The longer running time and the added melody in the vocals seem to thrust the record to another level (in my opinion!). They stick to a briefer formula with Dopamine and the up-tempo urgency really stands out. It drags you kicking and screaming into the album’s second-half with raging drums and old-school punk flair. Thrash metal riffs and dual-guitar harmonies greet you on Monsters and that should give a clue as to how heavy this song is. That said, The Infested does still throw down plenty of skilfully played ska during it’s latter passages, creating a song of two distinct halves. They dial things back slightly on SSRI Or Die? but the ska is still alive and present, in a song that’s probably the angst-ridden anthem of “Raw Ensemble”. Absolutely brilliant! The further you get into this album, the better it becomes and the better in makes you feel. 

On Buy To Survive, The Infested play their longest song. Once again the longer playing time suits their music just as much as the fast stuff does. They’re even classy enough to throw an acoustic song into the mix. Another Life gives you more restrained musicianship but with the same intense vocal delivery. The Outro, which is actually the penultimate song of the album is an orchestral song complete with the usual pomp and drama. it’s really cool though in a slightly cheesy way! There’s a demo/bone song stacked on the end of the record called Turn The Page and it’s the closest song The Infested has to something nearing pop-punk. Overall this is a great record with bucket loads of energy. The harsh vocals may be a bit abrasive for some but this is punk rock and it was always meant to go against the grain. Nice job!

You can stream album opener Believe via EHC Records below:-

It's currently available to pre-order via the bandcamp page above on all formats.

The Infested - https://www.facebook.com/theinfested2004/

10 Questions: Scum

This interview was going to form part of a larger article; however, I've decided to post it up this evening so that I'm not keeping Scum waiting any longer. Scum are a London based hardcore band with links to links to Harrogate, where I reside. Those links have seen them release a split cd/digital EP with local hardcore band Ericbana (who I'll be featuring in the coming weeks). They came up here recently to play and EP release show alongside Ericbana, Leeds punks Strong Boys and fellow Harrogate band The 7ups. Thanks to Scum for taking the time to answer my questions. 

Who is in Scum and where are you from?

Scum is a four piece from Harrogate and London, Ross Lilley is our vocalist, Ash Merritt on guitar, Jamie Lyons on drums and Alin Lordache on bass. We're essentially nasty fellows who play something resembling metal/hardcore with a bit of thrash and grind thrown in for good measure. 

What is the history of the band? When and how did you form?

Scum was started by me (Ash) and Lyons around 2014 as a way to let off steam and exercise our musical muscles outside of the more straight ahead punk bands we were playing in around the time the band started. It didn't take us long to come to the realisation that we way preferred the musical freedom and heaviness of playing in a band like Scum, it quickly became both of our main gig! It took us a little bit to find Ross and Alin, two years in actual fact, we're still trying to get rid of them. Initially we started off a little more techy but as the band progressed, the groove became king, more extreme elements of punk seeped which takes us up to where we are right now. 

Have any of you played in previous bands and are you in any other bands currently?

Lyons and I (Ash) have played in a bunch of bands together over the years, we've done everything from hardcore to twinkly emo music but currently Scum is our main and only. Ross has played in supremely heavy bands namely Blind Mentality around the Pompey (Portsmouth) area which is where he's from. Alin played in a Birmingham based tech metal band called Rise Of My Empire for a good few years before joining us. 

Who write’s the lyrics/music? Is it collective?

The process tends to be that I (Ash) write the rough outline for a tune, then Lyons and I will properly get together in the practice space and structure it out and make it sound like us. Alin will then re-write the bass parts (always for the better). Lyric wise Ross is a loner so we solely rely on him to come up with shit. He's good at it so we basically leave him to it! 

What subjects do you cover in your lyrics?

It tends to be all quite serious and po faced! The folly of humanity, war, mental struggle, financial struggle, the political and social state of the world at large all are topics Ross has covered. 

Are there any bands that have influenced you?

A fuck tonne, the Dillinger Escape Plan are a massive one for me (Ash), mainly from the perspective of our approach, i.e. fuck the conventional path, make your own. Early Trash Talk and early Hatebreed for the groovy hardcore side of things. We personally grew up on a steady diet of Metallica, Pantera and Sepultura which all have a huge bearing on the riff style. That being said, we really try to not borrow too much from any one band in particular, we're incredibly conscious of when things do and don't sound like 'us' and we fully intend to keep it that way. 

What are your favourite albums/EPs at the moment?

...From the Ground by this band called Scum, duh. Seriously though, recently we all really dug the new Code Orange, we've also been on a massive Jamie Lenman hit recently, Devolver is fucking dope as are Reuben who amazingly i've only just discovered. I also recently discovered Bark Market who are incredible for that lo-fi rock and roll southern fried sound. The most recent Car Bomb album kills, and on that heavy side of things, the most recent releases from all Pigs Must Die and Nails, Employed to Serve, Knocked Loose, Fit For An Autopsy, Carpenter Brut are nuts. We're also heavy into various other genres from Horace Silver to Jamiroquai to MF Doom. 

What is your favourite gig/tour story? 

Every gig tends to be rife with alcohol fuelled shenanigans, it's the mental people that you meet gigging that stick in my mind. We played the Devonshire Arms in Camden a little while back, spent the whole day getting rather messy with strange old punks. The sound engineer turned out to be one of the said old punks, he went by the name of Diesel and bought a pitbull (who was much nicer than he was). He was a quick to temper old gentleman who did not take kindly to me calling him son in true Yorkshire fashion in a urinal encounter. People like that make gigging hilarious! 

What is your local heavy/punk scene like and who should we check out (band-wise)? 

Scum had two main phases of existence, for the first few years we were in London and unfortunately there wasn't much of a scene but in the North there’s Leeds with it’s famously sick hardcore scene, bands like Broken Teeth (Manc) and Higher Power (Leeds) are sick as well as more underground bands like Hex (Leeds). We're basically down with most of the bands that play places like Temple of Boom and Chunk. We aren't too aware of of whats going down in York but we're playing there at The Spread Eagle on the 13th of April (plug) so I guess we'll see! 

What is your favourite tipple?

The band drink is basically rum and coke, a drink we can consume to a shameful degree. Lyons is an alcohol bin and will drink basically anything. Alin occasionally brings us back home made Romanian moonshine from his trips to the motherland which tastes like petrol and could knock out a small army. Great for a cold, because it will kill you. 

You can listen to their split with Ericbana, as well as thier earlier EP below:-

Both are available as name-your-price downloads too.

Scum - https://www.facebook.com/ScumMetal/

Once again, cheers to Ash and Scum for taking part in this interview. I'll be posting up a review of the split soon too.

Black Earth - Diagrams Of A Hidden Order

Labels:  Bile Noire/Sentient Ruin Laboratories/In Solace Publishing/Malignant Records

Formats: Vinyl/CD/Tape/Digital

Release Date: 09 Mar 2018 (Vinyl)

Tracklist:

1. Mantric Resonances Along Fields Of Dissolution

2. Upon Labyrinths Of Broken Mirrors

3. To Cloak A Nebulous Sun

Now for something truly noise-ridden and filthy. Spanish experimental black/noise trio Black Earth recently released their 2016 record "Diagrams Of A Hidden Order" on vinyl through BileNoire and Sentient Ruin Laboratories, having previously already been pressed on cd by Malignant Records and on tape via In Solace Publishing. The trio makes use of a myriad of electronics and sound manipulation, alongside the more traditional use of guitar, bass and vocals to present a sound that's cold and isolating. See you on the other side!

I’m apprehensive about the next twenty-minutes or so. Black Earth begin “Diagrams Of A Hidden Order” with distance ambient noise on record opener Mantric Resonances Along Fields Of Dissolution. You can certainly here the black metal that’s nestled within the jarring and harsh soundscapes, while the guitar and synths paint very distant melodies. It’s like descending into hell knowing that you’ll never return. It resonates with high-pitched noise (though that may also be screams) and a ghostly sense of foreboding throughout.

Upon Labyrinths Of Broken Mirrors starts off in a more restrained manner, but slowly builds with layers of claustrophobic intensity. It feels as though Black Earth is holding back slightly as times here, but you might be happy about that given the ferocity of the opener. The screeching ambience is back though and it fits the mood of the song really well. 

Closer To Cloak A Nebulous Sun hammers the final nail into the torturous coffin. Black Earth’s industrial leanings are clearer here and the images that are created by their experimental hymns are the stuff of nightmares. Extreme metal has always been a place of escape for many, though this record may seem too extreme for some (so let that be a warning to those who venture in). It does however, have an infectious element to it that is strangely compelling. 

You can stream and purchase "Diagrams Of A Hidden Order" digitally below:-

Black Earth - https://www.facebook.com/adnigredo/

Physical copies (on vinyl, cd & tape) can be purchased from the links below:-

Bile Noire (vinyl) - https://bilenoire13.bigcartel.com 

Sentient Ruin Laboratories (vinyl) - http://sentientruin.com/releases 

In Solace Publishing (cd) - http://www.insolacepublishing.org

Malignant Records (tape) - http://www.malignantrecords.com 

Social media pages for the above labels are below:-

Bile Noire - https://www.facebook.com/bilenoire13/

Sentient Ruin Laboratories - https://www.facebook.com/SentientRuin/

In Solace Publishing - https://www.facebook.com/In-Solace-Publishing

Malignant Records - https://www.facebook.com/malignantrecords

Atomicide - Furious And Untamed 7"

Labels: Iron Bonehead Productions

Formats: Vinyl

Release Date: 22 June 2018

Tracklist:

1. Intro/Furious And Untamed

2. Flagellant Rust/Outro

The relentless pace of the Iron Bonehead Productions release machine keeps on going. I've roughly counted about twenty-or-so new releases that are already out (or are due out) via them already this year. This new 7" from Chilean black/death/thrash band Atomicide is due for release towards the end of June. Atomicide's journey amongst the underground depths began in 2003 and since then they've released two-full lengths, as well as countless EPs and demos. The trio of Atomizer (vocals, bass), A. Prophaner (drums) and Deathbringer (guitar) have current and past links to the likes of Hades, Death Skull and Unausspreclichen Kulten, to name but a few.

Side A of this 7” features both the Intro and the title-track. The Intro is typically gruesome and flows well into the fast flowing death/thrash of Furious And Untamed. Brimming with razor-sharp lead work, fast drumming and rumbling bass all matches by the equally low vocals. South American bands have always had a style all of their own when it comes to death metal and it’s no different here. The benchmark for me will always be Pentagram (Chile) but Atomicide does a great job of making the sub-genre their own here.

The B-side continues in neck-snapping style with Flagellant Rust, which serves as a battering ram. Even dirtier than the previous side yet there’s loads of groove buried within the music too. Another screeching solo reminds you of their old-school affiliation and breaks up the ground and pound. The Outro closes the EP in the same way it started. Atomicide certainly makes great use of the 7” format here by cramming over 11 minutes of music onto it. This is just really solid and hellish death/thrash that’s written and performed without pretence. The heady days of Sarcofago and early-Sepultura that put South American extreme metal on the map are being brought back to life by the current wave of bands like Atomicide and they may even surpass them.

Atomicide - https://www.facebook.com/ATOMICIDE666/

Iron Bonehead has uploaded a stream of Side A to their Soundcloud page. Check it out below:-

Keep an eye on Iron Bonehead's website and on their social media page for information regarding the release:-

Iron Bonehead Website - http://www.ironbonehead.de/

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

10 Questions: Respire

These interview features are starting to pick up a bit of pace. This instalment features Toronto (Can) based post-hardcore band Respire, as they release their latest record "Dénouement". I won't give too much away in the opening paragraph. My thanks go to Rohan and Respire for taking the time to answer my questions.

Who is in the band and where are you from?

Respire are from Toronto, Canada. Our current family is Ben Oliver (bass), Travis Dupuis (drums), Darren Scarfo (guitar), Egin Kongoli (guitar, vocals), Rohan Lilauwala (guitar, vocals), and Eslin McKay (violin, viola). We’re a collective in spirit and in practice - we have an open-door policy for our extended family of talented friends and collaborators. That means sometimes we have six musicians on stage, and sometimes there’s ten or more.

What is the history of Respire? When and how did you form?

Respire started in the bitter early months of 2013 when a few of us started writing songs in the basement of defunct punk house Skramden Yards. We quickly found a shared commitment to making music that was cathartic, honest, vulnerable, while also creatively and conceptually ambitious.

Have any of you played in previous bands and are you in any other bands currently?

We all met playing together in the Toronto DIY scene. Various combinations of us have played in bands like Foxmoulder, Tell-Tale Hearts, Quone, Araby, Ramon Gris, Delo Truda, Ruzan Orkestar, Homage, Marla Singer, and Tower of Silence. Egin currently plays drums in And Always, and a couple of us have other unnamed side projects in the works.

Who writes the lyrics/music? Is it collective? 

On Gravity and Grace, I think our songwriting process was conflict driven - we’d all have competing visions for the direction we wanted our songs to take, and the best or sometimes most convincing ideas would win out. On Dénouement we’ve adopted a far more collaborative songwriting approach. Many of the movements were often written together, in the same room. Sometimes someone may have brought a motif, sometimes it might have come together right there. The music of Respire builds ground up - we start with the bones and work from there. We take the time to score out our music so that we can share it with our contributors and make sure there is no unwanted dissonance. Often by the end of our writing process, whole new melodies emerge that become the focus, changing our initial idea of what the song might be.

The lyrics are often a separate endeavour altogether, taken on by Egin.

What subjects do you cover in your lyrics?

Dénouement only started coming into existence after our Europe tour, last July. As a composition, it is a direct reflection of where we were in our lives through the winter of 2017. On November 15th, 2017, Egin checked into an in-patient treatment facility for substance abuse. The following month in rehab really set the stage for where the majority of the lyrics in Dénouement were written - many of the lines come straight from the notebook they kept during their time. As a result, the lyrics are a reflection of early recovery - that first yearning for something better. A product of looking inwards, of radical honesty, radical vulnerability, of coming to terms and searching for closure. Above all else, Dénouement is a record about hope - about desperately wanting to believe that even through our traumas, the crushing burden of regret, shame, and self-hatred - there’s a light still fighting within us all.

Are there any bands that have influenced you?

Our influences are all over the place. We all grew up listening to 90s/00s screamo, which is the main common thread that binds us together, but we draw from genres as varied as post-rock, indie, metalcore, classical, black metal, shoegaze, and hardcore. Here’s a list of ten records that influenced the writing of Dénouement: http://www.invisibleoranges.com/respire-influences/

What are your favourite albums/EPs at the moment?

Some cool new stuff we’re playing at the moment includes Massa Nera, Shallov, Ostraca, Nevasca, Øjne, Ghost Spirit, Cassus, and Sans Visage.

What is your favourite gig/tour story?

After a show in Solingen, Germany, we decided we wanted to go swimming, and our friend Marta knew of a “pool” somewhere nearby. We hopped a fence, and ended up in carnival on the other side, which was confusing and surprising altogether. We rode a boat across a lake, posed for photos with some garden gnomes, and even rode in a carousel! That’s until we heard some angry yelling and barking, and ran out as fast as we could - only to realize that Rohan had left his bag behind. When we returned to retrieve our bag, we were confronted by a guy with a gigantic dog and a sword (yes, a sword). Luckily, Marta talked us out a sticky situation, and the guy was cool enough to invite us to indulge in our original purpose - to go swimming in their pool!

What is your local heavy/punk scene like and who should we check out (band-wise)?

Toronto is in what feels like the midst of a DIY renaissance at the moment and there’s lots of cool new bands popping up. Two members of our family, Egin and Rohan, currently run New Friends DIY with our good friends from local hardcore band Digest, Vanessa and Nicolas, in an effort to grow our little scene, bridge gaps with DIY communities around the world, and flourish an environment that can be seen as an alternative to the state of arts/culture in Toronto - something communal and shared, co-owned and co-operated - something worth fighting for. Our friends play in bands such as Digest, Life in Vacuum, Terry Green, Growing Fins, Tower of Silence, BOG, Lilim, Iris, Chris, Stresser, And Always and Nanette.  

What are your favourite tipples?

Our tastes range from PBR to craft IPAs. We’re all pretty excited about touring Europe again however, where we can drink lots of warm local lager, pfeffi, absinthe, and of course - Club Mate.

"Dénouement" is now available to stream and order on vinyl, tape or via digital download from Respire's bandcamp page below:-

Respire - https://www.facebook.com/respirefamily/

You can also pick it up from the labels that helped to release it below:-

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

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

Narshardaa Records - https://narshardaa.bigcartel.com/product/

Zegema Beach Records - http://zegemabeachrecords.storenvy.com/

Light This City - Terminal Bloom

Labels: Creator-Destructor Records

Formats: Vinyl/CD/Digital

Release Date: 25 May 2018

Tracklist:

1. Reality In Disarray

2. A Grotesque Reflection

3. Dormant Tide

4. Terminal Bloom

5. Death Downwind

6. Agents Of Fate

7. Extinguished

8. The Wake Of My Will

9. Neverlanding

10. Wildheart

If you’d have told me at the start of the year that I'd be reviewing the first record in a decade from one of the most revered modern melodic death metal bands to come out of the US in years, I probably would've laughed at you, but here I am. San Fran's Light This City left us (or so we thought) in 2008 after the release of their fourth full-length "Stormchaser". They've now returned with new record "Terminal Bloom", which is due for release via Creator-Destructor Records on May 25th. What a time to be alive!

We’re already into May and music-wise this year just keeps on getting better. This new release from Light This City may not have been the year’s best kept secret, but it’s still worthy of all of the attention it’s getting. When a band comes back after a decade, you’re never quite sure what you’re gonna get and as the album opener Reality In Disarray begins with glorious acoustic guitar melodies, it deceives a little. When the full band opens up things become clearer and the majesty that is Light This City is laid bare, in all of it’s thrashing, death metal glory. Laura Nichol’s vocals sounding mighty, while guitarists Steve Hoffman and Ryan Hansen battle it out with duelling leads and crushing rhythms, and bassist Jon Frost and drummer Ben Murray take care of the rhythm section with aplomb. This record contains a valuable lesson for all of those bands who’ve tried to “reinvent” melodic death metal over recent years. It proves that formulas done right are perfect. 

A Grotesque Reflection is both catchy as hell and instantly recognisable as coming from a band that truly means business again. The thrash metal I eluded to earlier is more than present in the galloping tempos of Dormant Tide. It reminds me of the first time I listened to Trivium’s “Ascendancy” (not musically but emotionally). The title-track has a stomping brutality to it and while it might not be “uber-technical”, it doesn’t need to be. The intensity that Light This City puts into their music is more than enough to get you banging your head. Death Downwind provides a moment of respite that brings to mind so many great metalcore instrumentals from back in the day (sorry). As the second half of “Terminal Bloom” kicks in with Agents Of Fate, so does the insane kick-drumming. Aside from the instrumental awesomeness, I’m reminded of why I could never get into Arch Enemy. If Angela Gossow’s vox had sounded anything like Laura’s, AE might’ve stood a chance with me. Not sure why I put that last sentence in this review, but you'll understand what I mean when you hear the record. 

There’s no time to get sidetracked while listening to this record, as no sooner has Agents Of Fate finished that Extinguished is tearing you a new one. It’s urgency befits the song-length and the fact that they manage to stick a great solo in as well just sweetens the deal. Their quality just increases with The Wake Of My Will. A full band working in unison to make the best melodic death metal, period. Talking of death metal, there’s more than an old-school feel to penultimate song Neverlanding, which adds to the spectacle and enjoyment here. You’ve probably worked out by now that I’m pretty impressed with this record, but this might just be the catalyst I needed to truly regain the fire and passion for heavy music that I though I’d lost of late. As Wild Heart brings “Terminal Bloom” to a close it truly hammers home just how must of a complete record this is. It’s impact will be massive this year, even if it’s only felt within underground circles. Light This City deserves greater recognition though. It’s like they never left us. Fucking awesome.

You can stream both "A Grotesque Reflection" and the album's "title-track" via Creator-Destructor Records below:-

It's available for digital and physical pre-order from the above bandcamp page as well.

Light This City - https://www.facebook.com/Light-This-City

Creator-Destructor Records - https://www.facebook.com/creatordestructorrecords/

Farrokh Bulsara - Nieder Mit Den Thujahecken

Labels: Ape Must Not Kill Ape Records/Markus Records

Formats: Tape/Digital

Release Date: 20 Feb 2017

Tracklist:

1. Zerstoren (Destroy)

2. Wie Sonntagnachmittag (like Sunday Afternoons)

3. Nieder Nit Den Thujahecken (Take Down The Thuja Hedges)

4. Fledermauskacke (Batshit)

5. Aussterben (Extinction)

6. Zweifel Zu Krümeln (Turning Doubts Into Crumbs)

7. Lugen (Lying)

8. Am Ende Lacht Der Geist (Spirit Will Have The Last Laugh)

9. 1988

This tape was sent to me by Ape Must Not Kill Ape Records. It's the debut full-length from Swiss hardcore band Farrokh Bulsara. It was released by both Ape Must Not Kill Ape Records and Markus Records last year and when I received it, there was a note inside from the band, which was handy as I can't locate a huge amount of information about them online. 

Farrokh Bulsara features members who've played in a whole host of bands including Never Built Ruins, Fuego, Ghettohund, Sundowner, Dying In Motion, Rabbit Theory (whom I covered not so long ago) and Mr. Willis Of Ohio. Another couple of things to note; they're name after Freddie Mercury's real name and they were nice enough to include English translations for all song-titles and lyrics inside the tape's insert. This is a really nice touch for someone who doesn't know a lot of German/Swiss.

A million miles away from the artist from which they take their name, Farrokh Bulsara plays a brand of hardcore that’s often melodic and sometimes harsh. Opening song Zerstoren is anthemic as the guitars weave a constant melody, while the drums and bass provide the heavier elements of their sound. The vocals, here in German are delivered in a spoken-word style for the most part though often punctuated with harsher screams in the background. Wie Sonntagnachmittag makes good use of the band’s cinematic screamo influences and the raw emotion that comes with it. It certainly doesn’t feel like as five+ minute song as the tempo and the noise level increases towards a mid-section that goes from crazy hardcore noise to clappy emo in seconds. This is unreal. 

The title-track is filled with a palpable feeling of suspense and atmosphere. I’m trying to think of comparisons so you know where these guys belong but it’s hard. I guess you could sit them alongside bands like Shizune and Duct Hearts as a kind of reference. I’m really enjoying the way they build up to crescendo-like points in the title-track, where they threaten to fully explode only to end up getting heavier and never reaching a breakdown. The lone guitar at the start of Fledermauskacke is so relaxing it makes you believe that you’re in for an instrumental piece, before Farrokh Bulsara snaps that notion away. What they do though is replace it with a song that’s got a great punk sound thanks to the use of chords and a bouncy rhythm. Instantly listenable, it reminds of Refused or Since By Man. 

The feedback that closes the previous song also opens Aussterben, so they find continuation important too. The restrained tone that’s present during the opening passage is there throughout the song and the band’s ability to mix different musical layers is obvious and impressive. It’s the standout song on the album for me. The latter half of the album features more urgency with Zweifel Zu Krümeln flying by even though it still contains a hell of a lot of music within it’s sub three-minute playing time. Lugen turns a lot heavier in the vocal department, which makes complete sense given the pace of the song. It’s not completely that way throughout and there are still moments of introspection present. 

From moments of stark anger and aggression, Farrokh Bulsara is able to create songs that are danceable and positive. Am Ende Lacht Der Geist is a fine example of this, with so much to enjoy about it’s structure and tempo, which in turn ups it’s momentum towards the albums closer. 1988 feels more claustrophobic and if you read the English translated lyrics, you’ll understand why. It adds another human element to the music and an added sense of reality. I think sums up both the music and bands like Farrokh Bulsara. They assimilate every-day realities and emotions into music so well, instead of focusing on the mundane or on fantasy. There’s so much coursing through this album. It’s incredible.

You can stream "Nieder Mit Den Thujahecken" below:-

The album is available both as a name-your-price download and as a limited tape, which can be purchased above as well.

Farrokh Bulsara - https://farrokhbulsaraband.wordpress.com

Baron Soil - Demo Tape

Labels: Negate Everything

Formats: Tape/Digital

Release Date: 21 Feb 2018

Tracklist:

1. Bread, Roses And Shit

2. It Passes On

3. The Septic Isle

4. Collaborator

These last few days have knocked me for six and sapped my motivation, but I'm feeling more human again and trying to be more productive. That means getting back to reviewing and to be more precise, reviewing a band that I've not been able to find any information about (so if anybody has any, please let me know and I'll update this piece). Anyway, Baron Soil released their first demo tape in February via UK DIY label Negate Everything. It’s limited to just 17 hand-numbered copies, so if you like what you hear below, get one fast.

What starts as a gentle acoustic piece morphs into a loud and raw punk song on EP opener Bread, Roses And Shit. I do it a disservice, as its urgency and anger heads more towards hardcore. It Passes On is all over the place with both hardcore and deep-growled vocals that are akin to death metal. Add extra melody into the mix and you’ve got yourself a winner!

The Septic Isle is as hate-filled as you’d expect, with its mix of both dirge-laden death and pv-esque hardcore rages on for nearly two-minutes. As good as my attempts are at describing the sound that Baron Soil produces, I don’t think I can adequately do it justice. EP closer Collaborator kicks off with a jarring chorus of feedback before the band launches into one final blast of snotty and belligerent noise. 

If you like punk and hardcore that’s both loud and hate-filled then you’re certainly in the right place. This is real and Baron Soil certainly make their mark.

Stream Baron Soil's demo and purchase it digitally and/or on tape below:-