TRENCHFOOT EP

By: Terrence Gully

10 songs in 8 minutes. Thats something you don’t see nearly enough in punk and hardcore anymore. Trenchfoot not only rails through 10 blistering songs in this time, they do it well. From the very begining you know you’re in for a hell of a 7″. A wall of feedback goes right into a monstrous riff as well a sick fast part in Depleted Mind. There isn’t a chance to breathe until Days Like These after Amygdala Hunt. Mr Cellophane has a breakdown that will make you want to tear a wall down (as I’ve witnessed it literally do, or at least put a hole in one). Theres a part in the song that can only be described as “bouncy”, giving it some newer heardcore flavor and extra crunch. Choking Scent is my favorite song because its just mean as hell and is unrelenting in its last 10 seconds, more so than most bands out right now. The middle of the EP is a blur of fury and fast, ugly hardcore, but not in a way that all the songs sound the same, but blend together in a way that makes you feel like you’ve just been in a fight and got the shit kicked out of you. The last 2 songs are the longest, clocking in at 1:24 and 1:22 and are great enders, they change up the balls out speed for some mid tempo crushers that really close this sum’ bitch out. Having recorded at Converge guitarist Kurt Ballou’s acclaimed God City studios, they prove to be deserving of something that awesome and put themselves up there with God City alums. The great thing about this EP is that its got elements of punk, crust and dbeat as well. Check it out. For fans of: Cursed, Dropdead, Left For Dead, Tear It Up.

Bandcamp: http://trenchfoot.bandcamp.com/

Check out the new ripper here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gkqkxXqNHc&feature=player_embedded

CONFINED- DEMO

By: Terrence Gully

Ok, so here’s another BANGER of a demo for y’all. This one is quite a change of pace from the last demo I reviewed yesterday, but in all the right ways. The Confined 2012 demo is everything you would want and expect from a straight up hardcore band in 2012. A lot of hardcore bands these days focus on the early ’90s NYHC sound of bands like Madball, Outburst, Crown Of Thornz, etc, and all the youth crew bands sound like such a bad Youth Of Today re-hash that you can get over-saturated. That’s always been the cool thing about hardcore, the sheer amount of bands and different sounds that you get thrown at you. The cool thing about Confined is that they are a hardcore band through and through, but they take a little bit of what they like from different eras of HC and put together a pretty tight sound.

The intro is what really sets this bad boy off. “Intro/Song 1” This is one of the only songs the band kept from their first run at being a band in 2008 when they played a one off show and then took a hiatus, so for a friend of the band (the singer is one of my best friends), its cool to see it finally on record. The drums make you immediately want to start two stepping and hit a pit until vocalist Mike busts out a Supertouch esque “GET DOWN!” before the rest of the band comes in with a chunky ass intro that will have to floor punching and skanking all over the goddamn place. Once the vocals come in, you get a nice Chain Of Strength meets Uniform Choice Hardcore song about not looking back, something thats been covered before, but when said with undeniable sincerity, makes it feel all the more new. There’s another chunky mosh part at the end of the song. “Lost In The Light” reminds me a bit of Kill Your Idols and is a faster song about being lost and in your early 20s, something most HC kids can relate to. Theres some crucial gang vocals and then its over.”Back On My Own” is my favorite song on the demo and is about having someone turning their back on you and coping with and accepting them not being around. It’s also the only vehemenantly straight edge song on the demo, calling out edge breakers turning their back on what they once claimed was a huge part of their life. As someones who LOVES to party, its still a fucking great straight edge song. Not many bands can have a line like “What the fuck were you thinking man?!” and have it not be corny, but Confined pulls it off and pulls it off well. “Start Looking Down” is hands down the grooviest song on this bitch. That Supertouch groove that I talked about before comes back and the guitar part sounds like it could be from a Dead Kennedys song. So basically, if you’re reading this you know whether or not you’re going to like it. Its as straight up as straight up can be, which is something rare with hardcore today. Reccomended for fans of Cro Mags, Supertouch, Underdog, Mental, Jaguarz and any Lockin’ Out band. Get down.

http://confined.bandcamp.com/album/demo-12

SEAWAVE– Demo

BY: Terrence Gully

I always talk about starting bands that never really go anywhere, but have an idea in my head that seems like it would be so mind blowingly good that I have to make it happen. Thats how Seawave started, as an awesome idea in my friend Mike’s (Fishy, his name is Fishy) subconcious love for all things spacy and “wavy.” If its not obvious, I am friends with these guys and girl, but it dosen’t change the fact that they put out one of the best demos of the year.

As stated above, for close to a year, Seawave was primarily a bedroom shoegaze project. I would get facebook IM’s with links to riffs or leads, solos, pieces of songs that sounded amazing on their own, but left me wondering how it would all come together as Fishy would send me a bunch of different pieces that could have gone together in any number of songs. Fast forward a few months and the lineup is filled out with other friends and great musicians that you would not expect to form a shoegaze band, featuring ex and current members of Hardcore bands Bottom Out and Compound, but Seawave dosen’t come across as hardcore kids doing shoegaze. Instead there are just some extremely well put together shoegaze and dream pop.

The demo opens with the song “Seawave” and starts with what can only be described as the dial up noise from AOL, then goes into a bass line that will be stuck in your head and lets you know right from the start that this isn’t just shoegaze worship or a band trying to sound like any one band, rather a barrage of shoegaze, indie and punk influences come into play here. The first song has an undeniable groove to it that most bands playing the genre today seem to forget, setting Seawave apart from their contemporaries. From the bass line into a ringing guitar part comes very, very low and subdued vocals from singer/guitarist Gill. The song stays as a mid tempo rager before exploding into the J Mascic esque solo that starts off “Sometimes.” This song is much faster and a definite toe tapper, where the indie and punk backgrounds of the band shine through. Vocals are also switched off between Fishy and Gill in this song, adding for some pretty cool harmonizing and melody. To me this is the most My Bloody Valentine sounding song on the demo, probably because of the male/female vocals and heavy shredding.

Malfunction opens with a riff that sounds like it could be found on a Jawbox or Swervedriver B side and is the song that will make you want to gaze at your shoes or lie face down on your bed engulfed in a cloud of smoke. Fishy takes the lead vocal on this song while Gill sings background. The song ends with two of my favorite things that pulled off well make a song so cool, a crazy solo/lead part with random sound clips. You know, those clips that you can’t decipher but make the song infinitely cooler.

Sunroom is such a cool song and is surprisingly the only song that sounds exactly like another band. It’s an instrumental interlude that sounds EXACTLY like Slowdive, who every member would tell you is a direct influence. And thats not a bad thing either. It starts building up ever so slightly and then abruptly stops to segue way into the last song, Loom Walker. It’s a similar transition from the first song into the second as it starts off with a snare hit and SICK lead. The reverb is turned all the way the fuck up on this song and they take you home with a song that makes you want to be on a Soulvaki Space Station. But seriously, even if I wasn’t friends with these guys, I would still be posting this and urging everyone to download it. For fans of: Slowdive, My Bloody Valentine, Dinosaur Jr, Hum, Jawbreaker, Codeine, Archers Of Loaf.

DOWNLOAD IT HERE: www.mediafire.com?5i373vs7yjb55r4

BUY THE TAPE HERE:http://permanentsleep.bigcartel.com/product/seawave-demo-cassette

facebook.com/seawavemusic

 

Such Hounds – EP

BY: Mike Moore

Alright. Full disclosure. … I’m friends with Such Hounds. Matt, the singer, literally just called me 20 minutes ago to go get dinner with him. We are bros. I go to their shows all the time and we hang out and get hammered drunk and stuff (they love going to Baller’s Eve at Enid’s on Saturdays and dancing to rap music). But the thing is, even if I didn’t know who these guys were, I’d still fucking love this EP. It is incredible.

Here’s the other thing. I’m not that into a lot of music. Like, I just REALLY like punk rock and that’s about it. So, Such Hounds on paper, isn’t really my shit. It’s like stoner indie rock or something? Shimmery guitar leads. Southern-tinged vocals and shit. But, the three songs on this album are just completely undeniable. You have to be fucking crazy to not like them. It’s like, not even subjective. It’s just a fact. This is a really good EP.

It’s the hooks that get you on this. You know when people say that they have a song stuck in their head, it really just means they have like two lines from some Justin Timberlake song stuck in their head. It’s not the entire song. Well, ENTIRE Such Hounds songs will get stuck in your head. I’ve had “Sleeping with Me” stuck in my head for like a week. And not just the melody ( which is great). Like, the ENTIRE song. I’m talking like, bass parts and guitar lines. The outro’s guitar riff is guaranteed to get stuck in your head for days.

Then they give you the straight chiller song in middle of the EP with “Drink The Moon.” This song sounds like a song that some dude would sing on his porch on a really chill afternoon. Also, that porch is on a spaceship. Rad echoed-out slide guitar solos and shit. And as usual, just hooks for days.

And the closer song, “Cement” is just amazing. Remember when I said I was only into punk rock? Well, this song is pretty fucking punk rock. You might not think it at first listen, but once you get to that outro, look out, bro. Gang vocals. Really loud guitars. Drums that sound like they’re falling off a cliff. Dudes just screaming. It’s fucking awesome. If this EP was JUST the outro to “Cement,” I’d still say it was really good. “Cement” is the song that’s playing in Andy Dufresne’s head when he finally breaks out of jail and just whips his shirt off in the pouring rain. It’s very epic.

This EP is great and free. Recommended for people who like: getting high, sing-a-longs at bars, Deer Tick, having sex with people, The Eagles, The Replacements, pizza, chillin in the park, Creedance Clearwater Revival.

http://suchhounds.bandcamp.com/

Afgrund- The Age Of Dumb

HOLY SHIT. Remember when grindcore didn’t suck? I do. I was pretty into grind for a minute and a lot of it sounds one of two ways to me, especially modern grind. Either a band is “gore grind” and is just unbearable to listen to and belongs on some weirdo gore/snuff site that the weirdo members probably post on, or that regressive “classic grind” sound that just comes off contrived and over done. Afgrund are neither of those. There is grindcore, there are d-beats, there’s hardcore and there is some straight up punk moments. The sound of this record reminds me of earlier grind in regards to the wide array of influences that they pull from to make one killer record. You can tell that Discharge and Siege had as much influence on this record as Napalm Death and Repulsion did. The song “Beurocrap” has a crushing Entombed style “buzzsaw” riff that goes straight into an absolutely pummeling break neck grind song. The description I got with the record said that these dudes sound like/are on par with Nasum, Rotten Sound and Napalm Death. This sound is most prevalent on “The War On Drugs” where the band goes from a Nasum-esque dirty riff into a pretty sick D beat part. There is some definite melodic “neo crust” moments that have an underlying dark melody that adds to the overall gloom and despair of the record that brings bands such as Tragedy, His Hero Is Gone and Martyrdod to mind. Besides the obvious Nasum comparison, I immediately thought that Afgrund sounded like a more grindcore Disfear. They tap into the Swedish “Death N Roll”sound  almost seamlessly while providing plenty of blast beats and fast parts. The closing song is a perfect example of all of their influences coming together; in “The Carrier” the band switches back and forth between fast d beats and slower fucking MASSIVE riffs that will make you want to smoke a bowl on your couch and zone out one second, then practice your couch stage dives the next. The best grind record I’ve heard since Rotten Sound’s “Cursed.” Recommended if you enjoy Disfear, Siege, Entombed, Napalm Death, Anti Cimex, His Hero Is Gone, Dystopia, Magrudergrind, Weekend Nachos, Nails, D-beats, riffs, headbanging.

Check out two songs from the record HERE and if you like it pick it up when it drops on JULY 31st 2012!

-Terrence Gully

Samrt

By: Arielle Rosselli

Black Metal has and will always be an organic movement started by musicians who are disgusted with their socio-political plight. It originated in Europe but the revolutionist spirit of this genre can happen anywhere. In 2006, the year that SAMRT was formed, there was talk in the black metal community about an emergening underground black metal movement occurring in the Middle East. It was hailed as a movement to be on the look out for; I eagerly waited for years to hear from this movement. I got extremely excited when I saw that we received a digital demo submission from Serbia’s SAMRT. I had no expectations as to how this band would sound. I was flawed and blown away by SAMRT.

New Demo Reviews Coming Soon!

Hey there everyone! It’s been a bit but we’re coming back at you with more reviews for the awesome demo reviews we have sent into us! We’ll be much more consistent with new content from here on out so keep you eyes and ears tuned to some of the coolest music rumbling in the underground!

Wailin’ Storms

By: Nick Ventrudo

This winter here in New York City has been nothing short of brutal. On top of my lady leaving me; the cold, unforgiving streets of this urban tundra offer no sanctuary for a bitter, broken, little, man like myself. As a result, I seek comfort in the saddest, most miserable and depressing music conceivable. Maybe I find resolution under the veil of others’ miseries; or maybe I just listened to one too many Elliot Smith albums growing up. Whatever it may be, there’s something all to soothing about the drone of someone else’s pain and misfortune. With this in mind, I’ve found a form of succor in a recent submission. Wailin’ Storms, previously classified as “Texas Doom Country Blues”, offer a sad bastard collection of country riddled blues. The lo-fi recordings present a soul-defining sense of melancholy, stimulating a thunderstorm of emotion within the gut of its audience. Originally howlin’ from southern Texas, Justin Storms’ approach to blues is gritty, twangy, and conveys an overwhelming feeling of isolation that will seriously depress the fuck out of you. He draws his inspiration from the raw blues of the 50’s, heavily influenced by the legends such as Johnny Paycheck and Screaming Jay Hawkins. His broken-hearted, lonesome, and gloomy lyrics could bum-out even the most jubilant and content listeners. Wailin’ Storms’ seven song demo is a perpetual rain cloud that follows your parade everywhere (I mean that in the best way possible).

Your Highness

By: Nick Ventrudo

I’m a sucker for anything sounding remotely classifiable as “party metal”. For those of you unfamiliar with the genre, “party metal”, it has absolutely nothing to do with Andrew W.K. It’s simply a genre that makes you want to shotgun 100 beers and go climb something epic, maybe while beating the shit out of someone. It encompasses thick driving riffs, relentless energy, and just enough of a “tough-guy” element bleeding through to really get your testosterone amped. Done right, “party metal” is a wrecking ball of pure head banging bliss. Belgium’s Your Highness is the epitome of party metal excellence. Channeling a repertoire of ballsy blues riffs and power chugs, Your Highness deliver a powerhouse of thrash ‘n’ roll. Their bludgeoning sound has the energy and brawn of Doomriders met with the behemoth, Sabbathian riffs of The Sword. Song for song, their three track demo possesses an abrasive, non stop, kick in the groin dynamic that will leave you pounding your fist and wishing you had a really rad motorcycle. There’s a hint of an American “hipster metal” vibe lingering, which renders it no surprise that Your Highness has carried their weight alongside an agglomeration of legendary US acts including Saviours, Lords, Weedeater, and Black Cobra.

Jethrine

By: Nick Ventrudo

Noise rock will never get old in my book. In my opinion, the late 80’s/early 90’s noise scene was undoubtedly as good as indie rock will ever get. With legendary bands like The Jesus Lizard and Shellac writing songs that people couldn’t even comprehend, some of the most influential sounds came out of this era. The genre which abandoned conventional rock, was forged by experimental time signatures, dissonant chords, and punk rock ethics. The ideals and sounds conveyed in this movement changed the face of subterranean rock forever. Well, just when you assumed tunes like this were extinct, bands like Portlanders Jethrine step up to the plate. With an inherent sound nostalgic of 90’s Touch and Go acts, Jethrine present a dizzying concoction of punk influenced noise rock.