Squelch Chamber - Eater Of Self

 Labels: Self-Released/Bastard Premonition/Owlripper Recordings

Formats: Tape/Digital

Release Date: 12 Jul 2023

Tracklist:

1. Organized Mental Crime

2. Practice What You Leech

3. The Steeple Is Falling

4. Pulled Guts

5. Down In The Deadlands

6. Eater Of Self

The whole blog/life balance thing has gone completely out the window recently. So much so that I'm finally getting round to listening to Squelch Chamber properly. The band has been on my radar for a little while now and seeing latest release Eater Of Self on the Owlripper Recordings bandcamp page finally did it for me. Squelch Chamber resides in Pennsylvania, USA and has been releasing music that combines noise-rock, industrial and punk since 2020. Eater of Self is the fifth full-length (I guess?) to come from the band since initial release Down So Low, in a catalogue that also includes three splits. Productivity is the name of the game here.

Sunday morning’s the perfect time to listen to some extreme noise-rock right? It certainly feels like it as ‘Organized Mental Crime’ goes from sludgy minimalism to bass-rumbling weirdness in unexpected fashion. Melodies aren’t really entertained here, instead you get AmRep/Chat Pile-esque noise with injections of hallucinatory substances and atonal torture.

Lots of other comparisons could be made when listening to Squelch Chamber but I think it’s better just to listen. ‘Practice What You Leech’ is layered with so much that it’s hard to take it all in. The noise elements ratchet up further, while the percussion underneath more than matches it. The vocals flick between pained semi-clean screaming and unhinged growling, while stoner/psych guitar riffs can be heard subtly through it all.

The hypnotic drone of ‘The Steeple Is Falling’ is soothing, especially after the opening two songs. That’s not to say it’s an easy listen; far from it, but it’s just delivered with greater restraint. Talking of drone, ‘Pulled Guts’ begins as a solely instrumental number and continues in the same vein, except for what sound like unnerving whispered vocals that float in and out of the recording. It’s latter half once again descends into maddening noise-rock.

The brief running time of penultimate song ‘Down In The Deadlands’ doesn’t prevent it from being nightmarish yet it does nothing to prepare you for that title-track. ‘Eater Of Self’ runs way beyond seventeen minutes and builds slowly. Ambient sounds are used to add suspense and that feeling doesn’t go away when the vocals, and instrumentation are thrown into the mix, as it feels like Squelch Chamber is gearing up for something big. 

The expectation of a big finale is slightly misplaced as Squelch Chamber continues to grow the song’s volume in layers, instead of hitting you with it all at once. It’s actually a really good way of keeping you hooked throughout and the whole album is meant to be listened to from beginning to end without a pause, which is rewarding. As subjective as music is, it’s also relatable no matter how extreme it is. Squelch Chamber lays down a new marker for noise-rock in extremis.

You can purchase Eater Of Self both digitally and on tape from Squelch Chamber below:-

Tape copies can also be purchased from Bastard Premonition here - https://bastardpremonitiontapes.bigcartel.com/product/squelch-chamber-eater-of-self

Name-your-price downloads are also available via Owlripper Recordings here - https://owlripperrecordings.bandcamp.com/album/on050-eater-of-self

Squelch Chamber - https://www.facebook.com/SquelchChamber

Bastard Premonition - https://www.facebook.com/Bastard-Premonition Tapes

Owlripper Recordings - https://www.facebook.com/owlripperrecordings

To Forget - Cornered In A Retrospect

Labels: Zegema Beach Records

Formats: Lathe/Digital

Release Date: 14 Sep 2023

Tracklist:

1. Disaster Response

2. Lights Out In February

Almost a month ago this two-song release from US post-hardcore/metal trio To Forget saw the light of day via Zegema Beach Records. Pressed on 100 Stereo Lathe 7"s with a 50/50 split between label and band, it features their first new recordings since the 2021 full-length Echoes Take Their Place. Lathes have a tendency to sound a bit more rustic. though a Stereo Lathe promises a better sound. I can't vouch for the physical format yet but am still looking forward to this one.

October’s been a weird month so far, befitting the shorter days/darker nights I guess. Both my sleep pattern and attention span have suffered as a result, hence the choosing of this new release from To Forget as my focus for at least a moment. Opener ‘Disaster Response’ sounds absolutely beautiful as both To Forget’s anger and melody join together in a strange harmony. More hardcore than screamo for sure. The vocals are delivered with power and true emotive harshness, while the guitars and percussion at times promise solace but deceive with added intensity.

I care less about the volume with which I play these songs, given that one of my neighbours played loud music at 01:30am on Sunday just gone, leaving me unable to sleep. It wasn’t even good music either! ‘Lights Out In February’ gathers more from To Forget’s screamo/emo side thanks to the spoken-word samples that kick things off and the furious post-hardcore that follows it. Swirling yet piercingly precise (sorry for the alliteration), it’s a song that leaves you aching for more.

Music is very much dictated by mood, especially when you’re choosing what to listen to. I was at a social event this past Sunday where people were encouraged to take their own records, that would be played for others to listen to. Somebody described my choice of Avail’s 4AM Friday as sounding “Fractious”. I find it calming listening to heavier music and this release has done wonders for me this evening. If you haven’t already done so, please give Cornered In A Retrospect your time and pick up a copy if you can.

You can stream and purchase Cornered In A Retrospect digitally from To Forget below:-

To Forget - https://www.facebook.com/toforgetband

Physical Lathe copies can be purchased via the links below:-

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

Zegema Beach Records - USA - https://zbrusa.com/products/tf-lathe

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

Revenant Marquis - All The Pleasures Of Heaven

Labels: Death Prayer Records

Formats: Vinyl/Tape/Digital

Release Date: 06 Oct 2023

Tracklist:

1. Linnet Through The Marshes

2. All The Pleasures Of Heaven

3. Ankles Cadaverous

4. Black Metal

5. Luck & Evil

6. To The People Of This Hamlet

7. Bliss

This evening marks a special occasion. It marks the release of the final album by revered Welsh black metal band Revenant Marquis, All The Pleasures Of Heaven, which is being released via a special listening party courtesy of Bandcamp. Bandcamp continues to innovate with band/fan engagement and this new feature promises to be an exciting one. On a side note; I hope Bandcamp's employees will be treated with the respect they deserve given the decision by Epic Games to sell off a chunk to music licensing company Songtradr. Bandcamp as an artist-centric platform deserves better.

Anyway, let's get back to tonight's focus, that of the Pembrokeshire Black Circles's Revenant Marquis. Beginning with the Pitiless Black Emphasis in 2018, S has released a very expansive body of work leading up to this final album, including seven previous full-length albums, 3 splits, 1 EP and a compilation. Five years worth of music to consume then, which somewhat spoils us.

It feels special to be able to join this listening party and the anticipation is quite overwhelming to be honest. Thankfully I have a nice glass of red wine as my companion this evening. Hearing the rawness of Revenant Marquis for the last time is ssd and even with my slightly late entry to the listening party (my fault entirely), album opener ‘Linnet Through The Marshes’ sounds fantastic with it’s percussive intensity, organic guitar melodies and vocals that are buried deeper within the overall mix. Being able to read the interaction between listeners and RM during the listening party is a great insight into what has made this particular black metal entity so engrossing over the years.. Title track ‘All The Pleasures Of Heaven’ gathers together a lot of metallic guitar tones, which are subtle but give the song body.

It seems that listening via this medium makes the songs go by so much faster and as ‘Ankles Cadaverous’ gains full flight, so does RM. A masterful take on black metal delivered by both S. and O. Of Obskuritatem, who covers bass and drum duties here. It feels right that RM weaves a song into the album simply called ‘Black Metal’. While this may not be the last we hear from S., it certainly satisfies the hunger of those who have grown with this band. 

After the expansive ‘Black Metal’, ‘Luck & Evil’ takes on a much more urgent form right from the off. Admittedly, it does have it’s slower moments but it’s structure is such that it flows through different movements with ease. Structure is more important in modern day black metal and it’s much more evident in RM’s music here. Hearing the faster tempo of ’To The People Of This Hamlet’ reminds you of black metal’s raw history and punk leanings, but here S. and O. make it sound so effortless yet harrowing at the same time. Album closer ‘Bliss’ is both aptly named but also accurately so. It’s an instrumental song but with haunting choral vocals that bring everything to a close.

A truly special evening spent listening to a band that’s produced some of the best black metal the UK has had to offer in recent years. Whatever road S. takes moving forward, Revenant Marquis will always be held in very high regard.

You can stream All The Pleasures Of Heaven and purchase it on digital and vinyl formats below:-

Death Prayer Records - https://www.facebook.com/deathprayerrecords

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

The Owl - Silver Lines EP

Labels: Self-Released

Formats: Digital

Release Date: 24 May 2023

Tracklist:

1. Drop

2. Distort

3. Fatal Orbit

4. Back Up Plan

It's been a long time since I've featured anything by The Owl. It hasn't been on purpose, I'm just way over my head again in terms of regular posts etc. Before I get into this release I want to pay tribute to the fact that The Owl's main protagonist made it to 1000 days sober (if I remember correctly). Silver Lines is supposed to be an amalgamation of electronica, synth, breakbeat and more. Not what's usually covered here but The Owl holds a special place in my heart.

A bit of a voyage into the unknown for me this, but after reading The Owl’s story about what happened to the laptop that was destined to be used for a gig the same night, I felt compelled to listen to the release that’s cover bares the picture of the resulting damage. Silver Lines is an amalgamation of synth, electronica and breakbeat (I didn't just steal that sentence from my opening paragraph I swear!). A bit at odds with The Owl’s noisier/heavier output but really enjoyable at the same time. Opener ‘Drop’ is a pretty laid back affair, which bleeps and pulses through just over four minutes. It’s repetitive nature is really entrancing.

‘Distort’ is really aptly named given where The Owl’s roots come from in terms of heavy/fast music. The song itself however, ins’t so much heavy as it is glitchy and somewhat trippy. The breakbeat comes to the front, definitely distorting the melodies that flow in and out. The percussive side of Silver Lines takes centre stage on ‘Fatal Orbit’, moving further away from the hypnotic nature of the EP’s opening song and instead choosing to bewilder you with off-kilter beats and melodies. It’s a great piece of improv music (if indeed it is improvisational).

EP closer ‘Back Up Plan’ makes use of synths that sound a lot more analog and organic, that sit on top of beats, providing a relaxed and soothing ending. Harsh noise has always been a tough sell for me weirdly, given my love of powerviolence and noise-rock, so hearing an artist produce an EP as varied and enjoyable as this is a big plus. Maybe I should delve deeper into this musical realm.

Sonic joy is few and far between for my right now. The daily churn of work and decompressing after work has left me feeling quite lethargic. Thankfully, Silver Lines doesn’t require a huge amount of energy and instead rewards you via soothing tones.

You can stream and purchase Silver Lines digitally below:-

The Owl - https://www.facebook.com/theowlsounds

Infant Island - Infant Island

Labels: Conditions Records/Dingleberry Records/Left Hand Label/Middle-Man Records/Zegema Beach Records

Formats: Vinyl/Tape/Digital

Release Date: 01 Aug 2018

Tracklist:

1. Small Differences

2. Replenish

3. Broken Pieces

4. Fall

5. Diminish

6. A Preoccupation

7. Further

8. Where There Is Ruin (Bonus Track)

Post-hardcore has become such a versatile sub-genre over the last few years. So much so in fact, that it almost doesn't exist due to so many blurred musical lines. For one, there's the blistering (grind-inspired) emoviolence sound. Then there's the minimalist emo sound. In between those you have bands that wrap post-hardcore up in dissonant/mathy mayhem and those who mix atmospheric black metal with shoegaze, like Virginia's Infant Island. 

Their self-titled album was released in 2018 and was their first full-length. Initially released on vinyl via Conditions Records, Dingleberry Records and Middle-Man Records, as well as a limited tape run via Zegema Beach Records, it was later picked up for a European tape release via Left Hand Label, featuring the bonus track 'Where There Is Ruin', which was previously unreleased.

Time may be immemorial but in the present it’s going way too fast. It’s the ‘Small Differences’ that make the biggest impact right now, so being able to find a moment to sit and enjoy some music is very much needed. I’ve admired and appreciated Infant Island’s music for a long time now, especially thanks to labels like ZBR and Left Hand Label, whom I was able to purchase a copy of the band’s self-tilted album from on tape. 

The aforementioned opening song is the best of both post-hardcore and post-metal, especially thanks to Infant Island’s atmospheric blackened tones. Atmosphere doesn’t really come in to it though on ‘Replenish’, which kicks straight off with loud harsh vocals and equally to-the-point instrumentation. The song’s latter half takes a different turn with introspective vocal melodies and gentler musicianship.

That gentler approach flows into ‘Broken Pieces’ and with it, a subtle nod towards We Came Out Like Tigers and their collective delivery. It’s a majestic song that marries all encompassing guitars and percussion with vocals that sit deeper in the mix at first, before taking centre stage midway through. The dynamics work so well and portray true emotive fragility.

The feeling you get from cathartic, cleansing music is indescribable as it’s very personal but I reckon you could come close to describing it after listening to ‘Fall’. Absolute shout from the rooftops, heart on your sleeve stuff. The brief yet no less intense sound of ‘Diminish’ shows how much black metal influence goes into Infant Island’s music, in perfectly succinct fashion.

The two grandest songs are left till the end, starting with ‘A Preoccupation’ and it’s beautiful instrumental build-up that lasts to nearly it’s half way point. It has a feeling of spaciness even when the harsh vocals are unleashed. ‘Further’ is the longest of the album’s tracks and was the final one on it’s initial release. Almost seven minutes of deliciously layered screamo. 

Within those layers there are a multitude of other instruments too (that may not be immediately noticeable), including violin, cello, celestette, grand piano, bowed glockenspiel and upright piano, as well as added field recordings. All were intricately performed/recorded by Drake Dragone, Grace Howie, Alexander Rudenshiold (also the band’s guitarist/vocalist), Austin O’Rourke and Mark Boulanger. Vocalist Daniel Kost, bassist Kyle Guerra and drummer James Rakestraw make up Infant Island alongside Alexander on this release.

Bonus track ‘Where There Is Ruin’ appeared on the tape reissue by Left Hand Label in early 2019, having been previously unreleased. At the time, Infant Island described it as a precursor to what was to come and there’s a discernible difference in sound for sure. Some of the rawness of the band’s sound has vanished in favour of cleaner melodies and when it does get heavier, it really draws you in.

Infant Island may be on the back burner but their body of music continues to inspire. You may struggle but if you can find a copy of this album in the wild on a physical format, snap it up. It’s still available digitally too though, so why not do both!

You can stream and purchase both the original release as well as Left Hand Label's expanded release digitally below:-

Infant Island - https://www.facebook.com/infantisland

Physical copies are very scarce now but you can find a remaining copy below:-

Dingleberry Records Discogs - https://www.discogs.com/sell/item/

Conditions Records - https://conditionsrecords.bandcamp.com

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

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

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

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

Mithridatum - Harrowing

Labels: Willowtip Records

Formats: Vinyl/CD/Digital

Release Date: 03 Feb 2023

Tracklist:

1. Sojourn

2. Silhouette

3. Mournful Glow

4. Lower Power

5. The Passageway

This release from US black/death metal band Mithridatum is both a 2023 release and a debut one at that, so I don't feel so bad about being eight months late to the party (correction: I feel pretty bad). It was released via fellow US label Willowtip Records, who continue to champion the most technical and extreme bands currently around. Mithridatum is also made up of ex members of The Faceless and Abhorrent, so there's definitely pedigree here.

Harrowing is the perfect balance between dissonant, metallic instrumentation and raw vocals. That balance is exhibited by opener ‘Sojourn’, which is heavier on the death metal than the black to these ears. The journey into extremity and experimentation begins in brilliant fashion. 

The instrumental build up on ‘Silhouette’ is glorious. There is a lot to take in musically but when it’s this raging, who really cares. When the vocals of Geoff Ficco enter the fray, it’s hard to believe that Mithridatum is a  trio. The guitar work of Marlon Friday coupled with the multi-instrument approach of Lyle Cooper (guitar/bass/drums) breeds so much life and volume into the recording, especially with the blistering percussive battery that hits later on.

This album has blown me away so far and as third song ‘Mournful Glow’ crawls forth in a weird doom-like manner, I secretly wish there was an accompanying instrument-only version. Not because I dislike the vocals (far from it) but because the musicianship here is just so good! Expansive songs sound so much better when they’re totally immersive. Immersive is what you get throughout this album.

By now it’s no longer weird to call a five song release an album, especially when it lasts longer than most albums that feature double that of songs. ‘Lower Power’ sees Mithridatum at probably their most up-tempo and groove-laden. Both death and black metal can groove and indeed let light through, which is exactly what happens here. Granted the definition of light is somewhat skewed as the trio go full-on intense shortly after.

Album closer ‘The Passageway’ channels occult atmospheres through semi-whispered vocals, coupling them with the band’s progressive and precise technicality. The signature black metal vocals are joined by spoken-word passages and as the song’s tempo slows, choral melodies can be heard deeper in the mix, surrounded by swirling instrumentation.

Extreme music is constantly evolving and reinventing itself without actually straying too far from it’s early path. Bands like Necrophagist and Deathspell Omega lead the way in the 90s and in doing so, gave birth to the modern day marriage of death and black metal. Mithridatum follow a similar path, while also forging their own. Long may that continue.

Stream and purchase Harrowing on all formats below:-

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

Willowtip Records - https://www.facebook.com/willowtip

Black Wound - Wither

Labels: Dry Cough Records

Formats: Tape/Digital

Release Date: 30 Jun 2022

Tracklist:

1. Bite The Blessed Hand

2. Oceans

I was literally planning this review as news dropped of Black Wound's debut album release. Needless to say, continuing to follow the trajectory of this Swedish death/doom band is something I was more than eager to do. Wither was released back in June 2022 via Dry Cough Records, who have been involved in both of the band's previous releases, including their split with Skullsceptre. This EP features two tracks and acts as a pre-cursor to that aforementioned full-length (which, is on sale now by the way!).

Drowning out the generic pop/r&b that’s being played by my neighbour below is easily done when hitting play on Wither’s opener ‘Bite The Blessed Hand’. Black Wound have made it their mission to create truly nasty death/doom, just as it was back in the heyday of the sub-genre. Here, it’s presented in an urgent manner thanks to higher instrumental tempos and genuinely blood-curdling growls/screams. 

The EP’s second song ‘Oceans’ is a very different beast, with Black Wound favouring a slower yet entrancing approach to their music. Murkier and much lower in every department, it feels and sounds much more akin to a funeral march initially. After a couple of minutes though, everything’s turned up a notch or five. That tempo change catches you off guard and while it’s one that retreats back behind the band’s lumbering doom as quickly as it burst forth, it makes quite the impact. 

I’ve always been somebody who appreciates slower doom, I feel like there’s more than meets the eye when it comes to Black Wound. Their musical honesty and song-writing skill stands out like a beacon here, elevated by the mid-section of ‘Oceans’, which is surprisingly light and melodic. A touch unexpected but gracefully delivered with a hint of avant-garde instrumentation thrown in. 

At times there’s an inevitability that songs lasting over ten+ minutes will begin to decline in quality towards their conclusion, it’s not the case here. The latter third it filled with glorious instrumental prowess and a smattering of death metal influence. It concludes an EP that’s short but oh so infectious. 

I’m fast approaching that time of year where doom becomes my go to sound. I have plenty of records to choose from (thanks to Dry Cough and others), though Black Wound will be featuring high on that rotation when the likes of Primitive Man, Meth Drinker and Slave Hands have choked out all light.

Stream and purchase Wither digitally below:-

Tape copies are sold out.

Black Wound - https://www.facebook.com/blackwound

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

Binary - Commit More Arson

 Labels: Zegema Beach Records

Formats: Vinyl/Digital

Release Date: 04 Jul 2018

Tracklist:

1. Around Here We Mourn Our Young

2. Do You Know How An Angler Fish Works?

3. Nice Moleskin, You Can Write In That With Your Head Up Your Ass?

4. Dressed To Depress

5. This Song Used To Be A Phone Number

6. Like Us On Facebook To Make Us Hypocrites

7. It's Prince!

8. Dataloss

9. I'll Backhand The Fuck Out Of A Seagull

Binary were a US screamo band that came and went pretty quickly. From the release of their first demo in 2017, they released something every year up to 2020, when they sadly called it a day. Commit More Arson was their only album, coming on single-sided vinyl through Zegema Beach Records in 2018. It was followed by 2019's Say Your Prayers, No One Cares EP and 2020's Fall From Grace Face Down EP. Their final ever song appeared on a split flexi with Wounded Touch and The Burning Wind that same year. A short but very stellar discography. Oh and they played some really sick shows, and their Facebook page (which is still live) has reignited my love for stunning gig posters. I want to start collecting them!.

I’m writing this a little later than I usually would tonight. My rhythm’s all out of whack and sleep is also hard. I figured some intense skramz would do the trick and as openers go, ‘Around Here We Mourn Our Young’ is exactly that. The bass-heavy hardcore tones of the intro show things in a heavier light, as do the deeper-ish screams and percussion early on before Binary make shapes through both emo-violence and mathcore.

‘Do You Know How An Angler Fish Works?’ follows with the briefest of brief pauses, as feedback takes hold and sampled voices add atmosphere. Hitting full speed after more than a minute, Binary forgoes what could have been an epic post-metal song in favour of an equally great fast/slow hardcore one. In fact the more I listen the more it grows on me.

The fascination with lengthy song titles never fades and ‘Nice Moleskin, You Can Write In That With Your Head Up Your Ass?’ has to be one of my favourites so far, for sheer sassiness. If you were expecting sasscore though, you’ll be disappointed as it’s metallic hardcore leanings make themselves known in abundance, leading straight into the fast flowing ‘Dressed To Depress’ without a breath to spare.

‘This Song Title Used To Be A Phone Number’ is funny because binary code (from which the band takes their name) is made up of numbers. I’d love to know what those numbers were in this case. It’s a short song again but one that seems to be slower in tempo, providing a more claustrophobic sound. It’s definitely putting me in the mood for more doom/sludge in a funny kinda way. Poking fun at social media (and it’s influencers) on ‘Like Us On Facebook To Make Us Hypocrites’, Binary pretty much hit the nail on head. Making the most noise in the shortest space of time speaks volumes about the short attention span of today’s youth.

From here the dramatic yet melodic instrumentation of ‘It’s Prince!’ heralds a final third that’s (ever so slightly) more introspective. Penultimate song ‘Dataloss’ sounds downright dirty thanks to the bass that rules throughout. I need more bass-heavy screamo in my life!. It’s a damn good song all round too. Finishing with ‘I’ll Backhand The Fuck Out Of A Seagull’ (which is something I wanted to do multiple times while living in North Wales, but never did because animal cruelty), Binary dip into mathcore inspired riffs one more time. 

This whole album is far less complicated than I make it out to be musically. Binary wrote one hell of a hardcore record here and the screamo embellishments only make it better.

You can stream Commit More Arson and buy it as a name-your-price download from Binary's bandcamp page below:-

There are no more copies of the 12" available.

Binary - https://www.facebook.com/1001BINARY0101

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

birthsite - birthsite

Labels: Middle-Man Records

Formats: Tape/Digital

Release Date: 18 Nov 2022

Tracklist:

1. push

2. weight

3. stare

4. lyos

I have been back in the day job for four days now and already I want another holiday! Beggars can't be choosers though and I have to make do with what I've got, which is where the escapism of the blog comes in. Tonight I'm writing about the new one woman project from Edie Quinn (Middle-Man Records, Coma Regalia, etc). The four songs that make up this self-titled EP were originally released in November of last year via Patreon before being committed to tape in May. I'll provide a link to Edie's Patreon page later on in the review (as well as the usual bandcamp/label links), as she needs support right now.

Solo skramz is wholesome skramz. birthsite provides the perfect mix of caustic screams and melodic instrumentation on opener ‘push’. You can immediately pick out the project’s lineage but also detach it from the same. ‘weight’ contains lovely acoustic guitar, which isn’t usually a staple of the sound but the gentler tones add to the harsher elements of birthsite’s music. Even if they’re not used throughout the entirety of the song, they still make it beautiful.

Edie’s characteristic guitar melody flows through ‘stare’ effortlessly and even though the song itself doesn’t last more than ninety seconds, it fells way longer. EP closer ‘lyos’ is much more vivd in tone, building in volume while also containing gentle clean singing that hasn’t be present up until now. Giving way to truly dramatic and cleansing post-hardcore is no bad thing, especially when it’s this good.

It’s been said here before but good things come in small packages. It remains to be seen whether birthsite is a one release project or one with more longevity. Whatever the direction, this release is killer!

You can stream and purchase birthsite on tape, as well as digitally below:-

As promised, here's Edie's Patreon page - https://patreon.com/humanmachine

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

Kommandant - Titan Hammer

Labels: Aeternitas Tenebrarum Musicae Fundamentum/Maltkross

Formats: Vinyl/CD/Tape/Digital

Release Date: 20 Jan 2023

Tracklist:

1. The Arrival

2. Titan Hammer

3. Atlantean Deathmarch

4. Siberian Overthrow

5. Sublimation Of Resistance

6. Spannungsfelder

7. The Sentinel

8. Mechanised Annihilator

A week without writing/being tethered to social media has been very much needed. I did promise in my last post (or the one before) that I'd try to write about another release from 2023 and here it is. Titan Hammer by US death/black metal band Kommandant was released in January via ATMF, the Italian label that's host to the likes of Lustre, Falaise, Titaan amongst others. 

Kommandant formed in 2004 (according to Discogs), before releasing their first demo Iron Hands on Scandinavia in 2006. They subsequently release another demo, an EP, six splits, two compilations and four full-lengths prior to Titan Hammer.

If you want martial/intense black metal then look no further than Kommandant on Titan Hammer. Album opener ‘The Arrival’ is aptly named because it marks the arrival of Kommandant in blasting, brutal fashion. Industrial in places, it’s amongst the fiercest black metal of the year so far (yes, I’m aware that more black metal has been released since January!). With that being said, the authoritative percussion and bass, coupled with the unexpectedly melodic guitar work seems to enhance the already ice-cold vocals.

The title-track ‘Titan Hammer’ continues the blasting intensity (that will no doubt be a huge element throughout the album), whilst growing in urgency. The organic percussive sound that builds towards the song’s end Is delightfully grim. There are some more obvious martial elements to Kommandant’s black metal and the slow (death)march of ‘Atlantean Deathmarch’ exhibits their flare for weaving tempos that appear slower. The blasts still disguise it though.

‘Siberian Overthrow’ drags you back in a more rabid direction. It’s a sound that reminds me of icier bands like Immortal, if they crossed paths with Blut Aus Nord and Krieg (maybe?). Kommandant’s death metal influences, which were fleetingly mentioned in the opening paragraph are few and far between so far, at least to my ears.

I can really get behind the percussive might of ‘Sublimation Of Resistance’, especially as it sounds a little more on the experimental side of the spectrum. At this point I’ve gotta say that I’m not trying to make this review into something it’s not, so I’m going to try and stop with the (not so) semi-intellectual speak, because that’s one thing I ain’t. I want barbaric, insanity inducing noise from music at times and it’s delivered here perfectly. 

The eery, bass-heavy instrumental ‘Spannungsfelder’ is a strangely welcome beast and while it’s shorter than other songs on Titan Hammer, it provides a moment of breath before Kommandant flies headfirst into penultimate song ‘The Sentinel’, which is devoured by the percussion and vocals, leaving the haunting guitar work nestling unfairly in the background.

That guitar work is more prominent again on album closer ‘Mechanized Annihilator’ and as album closers go, it’s frighteningly tight. I know that no band intends for their album to become looser towards the end but the controlled and proficient manner in which Kommandant calls time on Titan Hammer is excellent.

Unapologetic US black metal has never sounded so good.

You can stream and purchase Titan Hammer digitally via ATMF below:-

You can also purchase the album on CD and vinyl from ATMF below, alongside other merch and releases from Kommandant:-

https://metalodyssey.8merch.com/shop/

A tape version has also been released via French label Maltkross - http://maltkross-eshop.com/fr

Kommandant - https://www.facebook.com/KommandantOfficial

ATMF - https://www.facebook.com/aeternitas.tenebrarum

Maltkross - http://maltkross-eshop.com/fr