Bracewar

Juggernaut

Solid powerviolence released on 1917 Records. Groovin'. In your face. You'll be chanting before you know it. Fans of Ceremony, Punch, and Trash Talk will not be let down.

Millions of Dead Cops

MDC - Multi-Death Corporations

Released in 1983 by Crass Records. An EP consisting of four angry fucking tracks. Classic hardcore with a social message that was laid out in full with the literature inserted in the vinyl. One of the best things to come out of Texas. Kurt Cobain was arrested with this band's tape in his pocket. Interested now? Huh? Fuck you. Nothing that came out recently is better than these four tracks.

BLACK FLAG - MY WAR (1984)

I decided to post an old album. Sorry. I have listened to this album three times today. I listen to this more than I listen to Damaged. I love this album. I want you to love this album. Best enjoyed angry and in the winter. Make sure you are cold, too.

Medusa

"Medusa harnesses the power of Slayer's most evil riffs and filter, twist, and abuse them via the record collector, nerdworthy triptych of Melvins, Lightning Bolt, and The Jesus Lizard. At times they are surprisingly melodic, other moments sound like they're trying to separate your arms from their sockets in order to use them as battle re-enactment swords, and sometimes they're trying to do both...there is definitely no fucking around." - Outburn
Medusa is a Bloomington favorite of mine. Their debut EP, En Raga Sul, is a very impressive work that leaves you feeling like you just fought a war and don't know who won.

En Raga Sul

Official Site

Punch - Push Pull (2010)

Push Pull (2010)

Just as their debut release did, this album covers multiple corners of the hardcore spectrum. The vocals are as shrill as you would expect them to be, and the musicianship just as tight and fun as you would hope from this California powerhouse.

Buy It

Last.fm

DEAD NUNS MIDWEST HARDCORE

Tough shit resides here.

RUN

Demo (2010)

Sorry for the lack of posts lately, everyone. Been busy as hell nearing the last quarter of school. I know it isn't much, but here is a killer two song demo. Run is from London. They released this demo earlier in the year and it definitely gets me pumped to hear more from them. The first track opens with a gritty wall of feedback and slow, stomping drums. The rest of the track is solid, including a pretty memorable gallop that finishes it off. The second is a slower piece and is definitely the weaker of the tracks, but that isn't to say it doesn't deliver something to remember. You can download it from their myspace as well, but I have laid it out here for your convenience.

Myspace

Pink Houses

Pink Houses (2010)

Pink Houses are a punk band from Bloomington, Indiana. This is their debut full length. I first witnessed them in a dank, dark basement one Saturday night in Bloomington, which I can honestly say is the best way to experience what they bring to the table. Ryan Woods (of Defiance, Ohio notoriety) plays a distorted bass that provides the framework for David McGrath's frantic drums and Jared Estridge's dirty guitar work. The whole album flows very well and will have you jumping around and destroying things before you realize what happened. Highlights on the album are definitely the opener, "A Shame", and "Again At The End", which is reminiscent of Black Sabbath and shows that there is more here than some textbook punk rock. If you dig what you hear, buy it! These dudes deserve it.

Myspace

Spiritual Bankruptcy

Myspace // Last.fm

Ridiculous thrash-punk EP from Bygones, which, if you recall, is composed of Zach Hill and Nick Reinhart, two of my favorite musicians who collaborated to create one of my favorite albums of last year. Stream it from the link above, and then buy it at the same place for only three dollars. Or find it for free elsewhere.

Integrity - To Die For

To Die For

Integrity are from Cleveland, Ohio. Their music is a crossover of metal and hardcore punk, much like Baltimore's Pulling Teeth, whom they heavily influenced. They have been around since 1989. However, this release on Deathwish was out in 2003. Swing those fucking fists.

Deathwish

Blacklisted

There's just something about Christmas that gets me thrashin'. All the holly and shit, just gets me PUMPED. This is Blacklisted, they are hardcore from Philly. They are signed to Deathwish, a top of the line Hardcore label, and released an album this year. The first album below is a collection of some early EP recordings they did. It is a bit more intense than their most recent release, which shows a lot of growing musicianship and experimental tendencies on their part.

We're Unstoppable (2005)

No One Deserves To Be Here More Than Me (2009)

Deathwish

PUNCH

These guys are so. fucking. raw. Hardcore/Thrash from San Francisco. Meghan's vocals are killer, the band's sound is tight and cohesive, and there are some really good grooving parts. Their self-titled debut LP got released this year and I can't wait to hear their future efforts. Cheers to the friend who got me into them.


Punch - Punch (2009)

Myspace

For You.Earth

For You.Earth - The Oldest Songs

Russian mathy hardcore.

The screams are high and pretty intense, and the music is gloriously chaotic. i've run some of the lyrics through translators (speaking russian is, sadly, not in my skill set). the first repeated lyric i ran through was: "you will be taken with the ground"

not bad, right?

right now their album isn't for sale in the states, sadly, but they're looking for a us/europe label so that they can get here.

Myspace

MAY-GAPOST

Foreword: This was all written approximately six weeks ago. Thus the month pun title. I'm pretty sure I never posted it because I thought I'd get around to writing descriptions for the rest of the albums. Obviously I didn't -- until now (somewhat). Anyway, I'm leaving in the "jokes" at the beginning because I am convinced that I am "so goddamn funny".

Get it? I'd hope so, idiot. [/dwightschrute]

So yeah, second post in a row like this. Might become the standard, as far as I'm concerned. Are you concerned? Don't be. There is nothing to be concerned about. Except SWINE FLU, AMIRITE? [/topical]

This week (not to imply that I will be doing this every week) I've got nine super-hip Rock 'n' Roll albums from various corners of the world! But really, they're probably all American. Which is probably for the best!! [/xenophobe]

Japandroids - Post-Nothing - (Myspace)
All I have to say is,

Wet Hair - Dream - (Myspace)
Two dudes who formerly participated in the epic psych forest adventure band, Raccoo-oo-oon. They obviously currently reside in a bathroom, their heads in the sink, passed out and probably hallucinating. GET IT??

Little Kingdoms - The Willow EP - (Myspace)
American Football-y, Kinsella-esque. Young dudes. F'in Rad is a funky track. The rest is great too. I can't remember, but I might have put a "bonus" song in the zip.

Pterodactyl - Worldwild - (Myspace)
When I first started listening to this I came up with the following catchy descriptor: "Animal Collective meets Drive Like Jehu". I still haven't come up with anything better.

Real Estate - Atlantic City Expressway Tour CD-R - (Myspace)
Cool, lo-fi midtempo island indie jams. Guy from Ducktails is on guitar. Sweet driving tunage.

Pocahaunted - Live @ Ms. Bea's (SXSW) - (Myspace)
Quality's as good as your average Pocahaunted recording, but nothing else here is "average" Pocahaunted -- for one thing, there's way more jam than drone. This three-song set of brand new stuff is total groove central. Groove Central, I say!

Duck Duck Goose - Noise, Noise, and More Noise - (Myspace)
Every so often, a band really innovates the shit out of their genre -- nowadays, for a hardcore band, this means they have just enough imagination to make the music actually interesting. If you're like me, and you wish not all bands in the hardcore scene sounded awful and boring, go for this.

El Grupo Nuevo de Omar Rodriguez Lopez - Cryptomnesia - (Myspace)
This album was recorded right after Mars Volta's Amputechture, and it's the most solid material Omar has released since Deloused. Don't get me wrong, I'm always a fan, but many of his solo albums are rife with filler. Maybe Zach Hill's labyrinthine drumming helped flesh this one out a bit. That's right, I said Zach Hill. Didn't you know? Get this now.

Pulling Teeth - Martyr Immortal (2007)

Great group from Baltimore. They mix hardcore and thrash. Pretty groovy, too. I also fucking love that artwork.

Download
Myspace
Buy

Trash Talk - Trash Talk

Awesome fucking hardcore from Sacramento. This is their self-titled. I also suggest going to their website and listening to the song they have off of their upcoming ep, which you can pre-order, which I just might do. If you like Ceremony, or if you were a fan of the Mind Eraser I posted, this is your shit.

Download
Myspace
Website

Doom.

DOOM - Born Like This (2009)
Myspace
Buy

DOOM may have dropped the MF from his name, but his style is still all there. His witty wordplay, lo-fi mad-scientist-like beats, and interesting soundbites all shine through, as usual. However, it all seems a bit more dark and serious than any other DOOM album. He also has some really good MCs featured on some tracks, including a couple Wu-Tang members. Oh, and Thom Yorke is gonna remix one of the songs. I just came.


Mind Eraser - Conscious Unconscious (2008)
last.fm
Buy

Holy fuck. This record is so damn good. It combines doom, hardcore, and thrash to create something so fucking brutal that I literally almost came to tears listening to it. Tears of death. For I had a blood lust.

EDIT: Apparently this is our 201st post! Congratulations? I guess so!

The Black Dahlia Murder

Buy

This is my favorite metal band, and one of my favorite bands in general. They are usually considered melodic death metal, and I see many influences from older thrash bands, black metal bands, and grind bands. Their lyrics focus on things like horror, zombies, monsters, etc. they all love horror movies so that obviously plays through. Start off with Nocturnal, their newest, it is probably their best release and is most appealing upon a first listen. Not to say each other recording doesn't kick ass, though...

Demos + EPs
What A Horrible Night To Have A Curse (2001)
A Cold-Blooded Epitaph (2002)
LPs
Unhallowed (2003)
Miasma (2005)
Nocturnal (2007)

My America Is Watching Tigers Die - Stone Age (2008)

In the vein of early Botch and Refused, or Fear Before circa Art Damage. That's really all I need to say, unless you want me to use some keyword like "angular" or "dissonant". There are no gimmicks here, just dirt and energy.

Preview on Myspace
DOWNLOAD
Buy it!

BONUS- This 7" record they did in 2007.
30,000 LBS