Until The Light Takes Us 18+

Second Semester In Review

2009 is complete, here is the second half of the years music round up, 1/07/09 – 31/12/09

In no particular order

INTEGRITY// Humanity Is The Devil (1996),  Seasons In The Size Of Days (1997),  Systems Overload (1994)

Last year I read an interview with the vocalist of Shipwreck, in which he talks about how the band Integrity had a huge influence on his band. Integrity are said to be one of the first bands to initiate the move to real heavy hardcore that was influenced by metal, which then became seen as metallic hardcore, which then spawned into the genre  metalcore, which dominates todays heavy music scene at the moment.  Integrity records are hard to come by in Melbourne, because Integrity’s prime days are long gone, their best years were the 1990s, which means its a given they are to hard to get due to the tyranny of time. Anyway the first record I got was their 1996 ep Humanity Is The Devil, which is said to be the record that really brought the influence of metal into it and feature so prominent. This ep is so good because its not your straight forward heavy record,  its has straight forward hardcore song structures that then have these little intricate song parts that throw you off what is going to happen and the sound to the record has a  raw feeling to it, which suits it so well.  Once I got Humanity Is The Devil, I wasn’t really going to look for any other records besides Systems Overload, the record before it, but when I bought Humanity... I was talking to the guy at Missing Link Records, he said that the next record Seasons In The Sizes Of Days was heavier than it, he described it as hardcore meets black metal with real tough Slayer riffs, this got me really intrigued in the record, I was not quiet sure what to expected, but they said it was hard to come by as it was the last record for Victory  Records, as the two main song writers left and apparently the singer Dwid is a strange character who is hard to get along with this resulted in leaving the record company and Victory no longer press this record. Well a month later Missing Link got it in for me and said they will most likely not be able to ever get it in again. Man what what a killer record, it is Humanity… but stepped up to the next level with real tough Slayer riffs. This record shreds, it is really angry, but so are all Integrity records. The record has a more crisp sound than Humanity… but the black metal influence I reckon is on the guitar sound, which have a raw feel to them, which makes the sound of the record really abrasive. The final Integrity record I got this year was Systems Overload, which a lot of people I have spoken to say it is definitely a more conventual hardcore record in the same vein as Cro-mags and Judge. This record is the precursor to Humanity Is The Devil, what I didn’t expect was it to be just as heavy as it, Systems Overload is heavy as, is a real tough metallic hardcore record, and shows the direction that Humanity… and Seasons went after it. All three records are killer check them out.

TRASH TALK// Plagues… Walking Disease (2008)

17 songs in under 15 minutes. This is straight up power violence inspired hardcore,  with power violence speed and hardcore mosh parts this record slays. At first I was a bit hesitant on this record but now I have to say it has to be one of the best records I bought during 2009, it is angry as fuck and so violent, never get sick of listening to it. I am gutted I didn’t get to see them live when they came out.

RINGWORM// Justice Replaced By Revenge (2005)

Just like Integrity, Ringworm are responsible for the creation of metallic hardcore  and like Integrity are from Cleveland and the same time frame. Ringworm disbanded after three records, but then returned in 2001, then in 2005 released the crushing metallic onslaught piece Justice Replaced By Revenge. I first heard the record when it came out but at the time I couldn’t get my head around it because back then I was looking for the biggest breakdowns ever written. Well now in 2009 I can truly appreciate the angry as fuck punishing metallic hardcore of Ringworm’s Justice Replaced By Revenge record, go get it from the word go until the end it never stops.

SLAYER// Christ Illusion (2006), World Painted Blood (2009)

Fuckin’ SLAYER. At then end of 2008 I realized that I had every Slayer record from Reign In Blood onwards, except Diabolus In Musica and Christ Illusion so last I made sure that 2009 would see me have these records. In the first half of ’09 I got Diabolus, but had trouble getting a hold of Christ Illusion because in Australia they only keep Reign In Blood, South Of Heaven and Seasons In The Abyss in stock in Australia, this is because these three are seen as the best Slayer records, any record after their Australian release becomes an American import when it goes out of stock, and this what happened with Christ Illusion, I am not sure why I didn’t pick it up back in 2006, but anyway because Slayer released World… this year and toured everything was restocked so I got it. I feel that ever since South Of Heaven Slayer has essential written albums that just evolve off the song  structures from that record, they have only once written one balls out song that could have come off Reign In Blood and that’s Ditto Head from Divine Intervention, which is their weakest record in my opinion. With crushing tracks like Flesh Storm, Catalyst, Eyes Of The Insane, Cult, Jihad, Skeleton Christ, and Consfearacy  Christ Illusion is the next step in the Slayer progression of song writing, demonstrating that their contempt for God and they fascination of psychopaths and mass murders is still there.  World Painted Blood is a killer record, Slayer have definitely written a tight record.  The songs are more complex than anything of recent records and every song the heaviest they have written again in recent records, and also a few fast tracks to, but  track Americon has the cheesiest lyrics Slayer have written, so skip that song because they are unbearable. Psychopathy Red is the best track on the record it is so fast and crushing, I could have bought this album alone based on this track its so tight with one of the best Slayer riffs ever written, its up there with tracks like; South Of Heaven, Seasons In The Abyss, Postmortem, Angel Of Death, War Ensemble, and Raining Blood. Hate Worldwide and Public Display Of Dismemberment are two more fast angry tracks from the record, make sure you get this record if you have not get  it yet because it is fuckin’SLAYER.

DOWN TO NOTHING// The Most (2007)

The Most is one tight record and so heavy, every track is killer, the thick guitars and barreled drums give an accurate replication of their infamous live show. This record like Trash Talk has to be one of the best records I bought for the year.

MERAUDER // Master Killers  (Master Killer 1996, Five Deadly Venoms 1999, Bluetality, 2003)

“The first time I heard Merauder I was blown away because my love fro Cro-Mags and Slayer was connected in one amazing band, this band is the perfection in crossover between hardcore and metal” Onno Cro-Mag. This is to me the perfect description  of what you get from this band.  Master Killers contains Merauder’s first three records Master Killer 1996, Five Deadly Venoms 1999 and Bluetality 2003, for the price of one record you get three. I only wanted it for Master Killer, that record that started it all(I have not really listened to the other two records, so I don’t have anything to say about them, except from what I have heard off Bluetality it is not that good). The whole album is thick Slayer inspired riffs that accompany the tough New York Hardcore they play.  My interest in this record, Master Killer came from again reading an interview with the singer from Shipwreck saying that Merauder was another real influence on the band and from the cover of Life Is Pain by  Hatebreed on their all covers record For The Lions from this year (2009). Master Killer is exactly what Onno Cro-Mag stated the perfection in crossover of hardcore and metal, it is so heavy, Life Is Pain and Master Killer are two classics songs that are perfect examples of metallic hardcore at its best.

REIGN SUPREME// Testing The Limits Of Infinite (2009)

Reign Supreme’s latest record, Testing the Limits of Infinite is a pristine example of some of the tightest, most enthusiastic metallic hardcore available today. The riffs are massive. The tracks are anthemic. The gang vocals are abundant. It’s everything a solid hardcore album should be. This record was a hassle to get because Jb Hifi would only get it in if your ordered it in which would take 6-8 weeks to get from release date, so I thought Missing Link would have it, cut along story short (and about 20 phone calls our of it) it took Missing Link a month after the release date to get it in, but the Resists Records in Sydney  had it on the day it came out in the US, this happened to me a few times this year with Missing Link, which was annoying. When I finally got it, fuck, it has to be another best for the year of 2009.

HOPE CONSPIRACY// Death Knows Your Name (2006), True Nihilist 7″ (2009)

This year I have had a huge change in musical taste and ability in listening to different styles of music but in saying that most of the music has been hardcore, and it is all this hardcore that there is so much out there that I can not have listened to 1-3 years ago, bands like Have Heart, Verse and Trash Talk I would not have liked  two years ago, now I reckon they are killer and this is the same with Hope Con’s Death Knows Your Name record. A record that is so angry at all the things that are fucked in this world is the only way that I can only explain it.  True Nihilist 7″ follows in the footsteps of Death Knows... but the music is even more angry and heavy as, in three devastating tracks it slays Death Knows… it is so good and would again have to be another best release of 2009. The cool thing about True Nihilist is that I bought it while up in Sydney on vinyl essential based on the artwork of the record cover which is the best cover of 2009, but I was only going to be able to listen to it on the record player downstair, but what I didn’t know was that Deathwish (the record lable) give you a code that allows you to download the tracks from their website, so I will now never listen to that record because its now on my computer. Maybe one day it will be worth money. Get this 7″ it is crushing you have no idea how good it is until you check it out.

GORJIA//From Mars To Sirius (2007)

Man the song BACKBONE, whole fuck is the heaviest song I heard all year, so I went and bought the record its from From Mars…, has to be the worst record I bought all year it sucks, not a single song off the record that is like BACKBONE, I hate the band, but they still did write this killer track, so go download it because the album is not worth your money or time.

TRAPPED UNDER ICE// Secrets Of The World (2009)

This album rules chunky heavy hardcore at its best, they haven’t reinvented the wheel of  heavy hardcore, they have just perfected it. I saw them towards the end of the year, killer show.

50 LIONS// Where Life Expires (2009)

50 Lions 3rd full length, which sees them write their heaviest record yet, but I wouldn’t say its their best, I reckon they nailed the perfect record on Time Is The Enemy (2007). I can’t quite put my finger on what it is but something is just out of place on the record, but in saying that at times on the record tracks just shred like Fear, For The Worst, Means To An End, No Escape, and Still Lost .

MOTHER OF MERCY// III (2009)

When 50 Lions did the tour for their record Where Life Expires they brought Trapped Under Ice (from Baltimore, USA) with them, one of the guys they brought with them brought out a heap of CDs for sale but sold them for what he would sell them in the US at $10 each, so I picked up 4 CDs, this was one of them. I took me a while to get around to listening to it because I was still thrashing out Trapped Under Ice long after seeing them live. When I final got around to listening to it became again one of the best records for the year easy, the music is so harsh and stripped back to the  bare essentials of metallic hardcore, when playing this loud it makes you just want to destroy some ones world, it is a devastating album, and after only roughly about 10 listens could be my album of the year, big call but I reckon it is.

LEWD ACTS// Black Eye Blues (2009)

CD N0.2 from the 50 Lions/Trapped Under Ice show. I was curious about this CD for a couple weeks before the show as I had heard an interview with the dudes of the Deathwish podcast came off as good dudes so for $10 I was like why not. Lewd Acts are Deathwish band and it has come to a point where you can sort of guess what the sound of the record will be, angry  and ball of energy in the music, which this record is. At first I wasn’t grabbed by it, until after a few rotations it slowly began to grow on me, now its just one angry record, that I really enjoy.

FOUNDATION// Hang Your Head (2009)

CD N0.3 from the 50 Lions/Trapped Under Ice show. I was suckered into this record, I cant remember the comparison but it must have been good, it would be the weakest record out of the four I bought, but in saying that is still a good record. There are two things you have to get by  with this record: 1. the shocking album artwork, which really dumbs it down 2. half way through recording the record changes sound, because they record the record in sections at different places, which is not obvious until track 8, so it only effects three songs. Once you get past this the record is not to bad, but again it was a record that had to grow on me, which it has, a solid hardcore release .

TRAP THEM// Seizers In Barren Praise (2009)

CD N0.4 from the 50 Lions/Trapped Under Ice show. This wreckord is  a cacophony of destruction.

IRON AGE// The Sleeping Eye (2009)

I have no idea what to say about this record but that if Metallica where a hardcore band back in the 1980s they would have attempted to write these classic 7 songs, this is definitely one of the best records of the year and the most unique records I have ever bought since listening to hardcore, it rules. The sound is so heavy, raw and abrasive, just like Metallic’s Kill Em All. This record is fucking insane and it is huge in sound and after calling Mother Of Mercy’s record III, I forgot about this one so there could by a tie. I will have to play them a few time side a by side and work it out for sure.

IRON MIND// The Sun Has Set (2009)

This band is from Melbourne, their first ep man another huge sounding bit of metallic tinged hardcore, this album is just wrecking ball of an album, like Trapped Under Ice, Cruel Hand and Bitter End Iron Mind have not reinvent  the sound of heavy hardcore they have just perfected it. Besides the solid effort of the music the artwork that is in the inside record cover  is an illustration of horrors that is so incredible its nice to see a band that puts thought into a good piece of artwork that accompanies the music so well.

S.O.D. (STROMTROOPERS OF DEATH)// Speak English Or Die (1985)

March Of  The S.O.D. is why I bought this record and also for Speak English Or Die, S.O.D. is the brain child of Scott Ian of Anthrax, who are one of the four original thrash titans of the 1980s, while Anthrax write killer songs that essential embraced hardcore, punk and rap that turn into devastating 5-7 minute monstrosities of songs, S.O.D write straight up crossover thrash, which the combination of puck and metal, that usually on last for a no more than a minute. S.O.D is just stripped back heaviness, while most of the lyrics are piss takes that make up the songs like: Kill Yourself, Milano Mosh,Chromatic Death, Pre-Menstrual Princess Blues, Pussy Whipped, Fuck The Middle East and Douche Crew, the music is so good, good buy for they year.

PULP FICTION SOUNDTRACK// (1994)

The soundtrack to one of the best films ever made, if you haven’t seen it your an idiot and have not taste or culture. With killer tracks from the film: Misirlou performed by Dick Dale & His Del-Tones, Jungle Boogie performed by Kool & The Gang, Bustin’ Surfboards by The Tornadoes, Son Of A Preacher Man by Dusty Springfield, Bullwinkle Pt.II by The Centurians , the famous You Can Never Tell by Chuck Berry and my favorite Girl You’ll Be A Woman Soon performed by Urge Overkill. Album is killer and a good break from metallic tinged hardcore.

AT THE GATES// Slaughter Of The Soul (1995)

This year has definitely been the year where I have bought almost every record I have always wanted to own and this record has always been high on my list of records to buy, it is a crushing record and the record responsible for so many US (others from many countries around the world) metalcore bands biting the European metal sound it has it all the killer riffs and huge breakdowns. The funny thing is their influences included Slayer and Integrity,which is not obvious at all, so they knew how to include your influences with out making them obvious because their is so much heavier than Integrity’s just not as abrasive. Crushing record suss it out if you were ever a sucker for the metalcore, which I still am, (you cant deny how good Bring Me The Horizon’s Suicide Seasons is, which was produced by Fredrik Nordstrom who produced Slaughter Of The Soul and so much more)

SUM 41// Does This Look Infected? (2002)

Metallic tinged pop punk. This record came out in 2002, if someone told me in 2002 that in 2009 I would by buying it I would laugh in their face and tell them that would never happen the only record I can remember buying in 2002 is Blood Dusters ultimate EP Drink Fight Fuck, 2002 would have been all metal albums, kind of gutted I can’t remember what other albums I bought, but Blood Duster because it is still a killer EP to this day. Any way the point I am making was that pop punk was huge then and I hated it, it was lame and was not heavy my whole life has revolved around crushing music until this year when I bought my first pop punk record this little gem. I bought this record on the single track Still Waiting, what a killer track. I remember seeing a Sum 41 video clip back around this time when they did a song for the soundtrack to Spiderman, the video/track feature Kerry King ( If you don’t know who Kerry King is your fucking dumb and should be ashamed of yourself) so this must have meant they were influenced by  metal. The album before this one All Killer No Filler was a straight up pop punk record, this one has metallic tinged pop tracks all the way through it: Still Waiting, A.N.I.C., Mr Amsterdam (Heaviest song off the record easy), Thanks For Nothing, Hyper-Insomnia-Para-Condrioid, and Billy Spleen. This album is so much fun it, its a record this just makes you want to smile all day.

BAD BLOOD// Inner Peace Outer Grief (2007)

Heavy hardcore from Sydney.

WORD UP!//Chillmatic (2009)

Word Up! are from Byron Bay, they could be the biggest carbon copy of 50 Lions, but they do it so well, which makes it a killer record.

AC/DC// Back In Black (1980)

How can I be an AC/DC fan since the age of 6 and not own this record, so this year I made sure I picked up, no suprises on here just the classic: Hells Bells, Shoot To Thrill, Back In Black, You Shook Me All Night Long and Rock And Roll Ain’t Noise Pollution. Killer record.

THE DEAD WALK// We Prowl The Streets (2006)

In JB HIFI next to each section of music they have a clearance  section for each one, I got this record for $5, best $5 spent along with the $4.00 for Internal Affairs record and $6.60 for Blacklisted Heavier Than Heaven Lonelier Than God of the year. Man this record is so good hailing from New Castle, they play heavy hardcore and do a mean cover of Beastie Boys Fight For Your Right. There is not a single band track off the record and again would be part of the pack of best records I have bought this year, such a shame they split up a couple of years ago I am really keen to hear these tracks belted out live.

METALLICA// Mater Of Puppets (1986)

I have had this album for years but it was a burnt copy and it is one of my favorite metal records of all time like a billion other people out there, it was $13 at JB so I picked up, it is still sitting in its shrink wrap, I wonder if CDs will ever come of value, because I doubt I will take it out.

NIRVANA// Nevermind (1991)

Killer record should have owned it for a longer than six months.

MARILYN MANSON// Portrait Of An American Family (1994) Antichrist Superstar (1996)

I have been a fan of Manson for years and have been meaning to by Antichrist Superstar for years as at some point I had a burnt copy but lost and felt I knew the record to pay full price for it so I never really bother getting until now because I found it for $12 and saw Portrait for $10, so I grabbed that to because I remember liking what I had heard from it. Well not hearing for a long time its no where near as good as I remember it, but songs Cake And Sodomy, Lunch Box and Get Your Gunn are all still killer songs.  Antichrist Superstar fuck, this record rules I forgot how good it was. It is the record that put Manson in the general public radar and began his assault on them causing alot of outcry in the US from
Pro-Christian groups . The record is full of classics: Irresponsible Hate Anthem, Beautiful People, Antichrist Superstar and The Reflecting God, but then all these killer tracks: Little Horn, Mister Superstar, Angel With The Scabbed Wings, Kinderfeld, and 1996. This record is Manson’s Reign In Blood or his Master Of Puppets if he just played this record in its entirety I would, the record is so cool and the artwork goes with music I look at it and think I wish I was the dude responsible for designing this package it rules, suss it out.

GALLOWS// Orchestra Of Wolves (2007)

I am not sure why I picked up this record, I think it was a combination of  their latest release ( I don’t know what that is) and the fact some one was raving about them to me, it was $10 at JB so I grabbed. At first I was unsure of it but as usual (this is becoming quite a common thing for me, it never use to happen in the past) the record grew on me. I would describe it as a really abrasive raw punk record with hardcore elements to fill in the gaps. I really enjoy this album but sometimes the voice can irritate me real quick so if I am not in the mood I have to change the to some other band like Ringworm.  Definitely one of the best discovery’s of the year, highly recommend it.

CONVERGE// Axe To Fall (2009)

Converge are a band that everyone raves about saying the most influential band on hardcore and extreme music from the band to Kurt Ballou who is the must have produced of so many killer records of the last 5 years, to Jacob Bannon running the record label Deathwish, which has some of the best hardcore bands on it. I have found all their releases to always be so chaotic that I couldn’t get my head around them, so why did I get Axe To Fail? I saw a promo video of Converge writing the album and they were practicing the opening song Dark Horse, which must have riff of the year in, the song didn’t seem so much of a cluster fuck of sonic distortion, thank god I was right. Axe To Fail to me is the best thing I have ever heard from Converge its like they have managed to harness the raw sonic power of all their previous efforts and written the most punishing records of 2009. I have finally come round to understand everyones obsession with Converge, but in saying that I still can’t dig the previous records, this will have to be my Converge record.

THE HOLLOW// Self titled EP (2009)

Rising from the bleak industrial streets of Australia’s Newcastle, The Hollow emerge with an insatiable appetite that encompasses raw emotion and darkness. Fueled by a hatred for mankind The Hollow represent a new age in Australian hardcore. For fans of Integrity/Turmoil/Rise and Fall. I love this description of The Hollow-especially the hatred of mankind bit (Stolen from the bio of Shipwreck) any band that hates mankind has to be killer. I had be so keen to see these dudes live and get their record just because of that description, I finally got to see them when Rise And Fall came at the end of the year, man they where killer, what was cool is the song they have on the EP is the same sound as they live sound really abrasive and you can now tell I love raw abrasive metallic hardcore.

BLKOUT// Total Depravity (2009)

I saw BLKOUT live while supporting Rise And Fall, they were killer so I picked up their record, straight up Australian hardcore solid release, suss it out if  you like No Apologies, Internal Affairs, Cruel Hand you get the point.

RISE AND FALL// Our Circle Is Vicious (2009)

Man this record came out at the end of October 27th to be exact, guess what Missing Link still have not got it, Resist Records had it the day it came out in the US, I am now going to buy all my new releases through Resist Records and have them sent down. I had to wait until their show to get this record so when I saw them I knew nothing off the record, I think they played more off Into Oblivion. This record is definitely a different record than Into Oblivion it is more chaotic and has a real sense of dread and doom and also anguish that make up the record. I have only listened to it a hand full of times it is yet to really appeal to me I think the record is to mature for me, so Ill have to listen to it more and do a recap on it later.

WU-TANG// Wu-tang Forever (1997)

The follow up record to 36 Chambers, in that time RZA had produced the solo albums of Ol’Dirty, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Gza and Method Man, out of those records only Gza record kept the sound of 36 Chambers in it, the rest went for a more polished sound, which resulted in this second offering to be a lot more polished and almost not even remotely sound like 36 Chambers, which is a shame in my opinion. The album comprises of two disc, the first disc is killer the second one is no good but thats cool because the first one slays it so thats all I listen to and it has really grown on me. I now have all the Wu records up to The W, and they are all killer but 36 Chambers will always be the one.

NO WARNING// Ill Blood (2002)

Short Fuse was why I bought this record, I had the song on my computer for years but nothing else so I grabbed the record while at Resist Records in Sydney, killer record straight up pissed off hardcore.

BRACE WAR//Juggernaut (2007)

I thought Brace War were a really chugging tough hardcore band but to my surprise it was really fast hardcore not as fast or as chaotic as Trash Talk but in the same vein as them with the big mosh parts thrown between all the thrash parts, could buy.

MIND ERASER// Cave (2005)

Exactly like Trash Talk, it is so good, fast and violent. Go get it.

SOUTH OF HEAVEN

FUCKIN’ SLAYER, got my ticket did you?

Midyear Report

So far this year the muisc I have been buying has looked like this:

1/01/09-30/06/09

In no particular order.

Rise And Fall// Into Oblivion 

This album is so heavy and abrasive. The stand out tracks for me are Forked Tongues, Failure Is As Failure Does and Live In Sin . The artwork to the CD are J. Bannon illustrations which are so nice, also its refreshing to see nice artwork for a hardcore album to take the time to think about the design and not just have so crowd photo of mosh.  I can not really think on anything that else to say about it but check it out.

Cancer Bats// Hail Destroyer

Lying somewhere between metalcore and death `n’ roll, Cancer Bats brings a metallic groove to raw, razor-tongued punk rock, I like this description the album is so good its punk rock real heavy. Like Into Oblivion the artwork to this CD is so good. From the opening track, Hail Destroyer right up to the second last track PMA ’till I’m DOA, the album slays, so rocking and heavy. I bought this album because they were announced as the supports to Bring Me The Horizon, so I was curious what they would be like, man what a killer buy, once I heard this CD I was so eager to see them live every track played live was just as good as the CD cut of the track, if not better, especially Deaths March, Bastards Waltz, Sorceress and Lucifer’s Rocking Chair. 

Anthrax// Among The Living

Anthrax were a bunch of comic-book-reading, jam-wearing heavy metal fans from NYC, and the music reflects the lifestyle. Not a single weak song off this record, the whole album rules a thrash masterpiece. I bought this record because I saw the documentary Get Thrashed which named this album to be the strongest Anthrax record, it also was the first album to have blast beats on it. Indians, One World, A Skeleton In The Closet, Imitation Of Life, EFILNIKUFESIN (N.F.L) and I Am The Law are some of some of my favorites off this record, Caught In A Mosh is such a fresh track title to. I would have to say this is one of my favorite records I have bought this year.

Cruel Hand// Prying Eyes

This album is so good I saw them last night and they played the tightest set of songs from Prying Eyes, heavy and fast hardcore. They had a zine there that described Cruel Hand as a Hardcore, Thrash cross over band, not some pussy metalcore band, so true. The album is tough, floor punch hardcore music at its finest.

Rage Against The Machine// Evil Empire & Battle Of Los Angeles

I bought these two albums just because they were cheap, Battle is a killer record and I would say their best along with their debut self titled record  Testify and Sleep Now In The Fire being my favorite tracks from the record. Evil just doesn’t quite sit right with me, the songs: People Of The Sun, Bulls On Parade, Vietnow and Tire Me are killer songs but the rest are strange attempts to be really heavy but are missing something that makes a killer RATM track plus the song structures get repetitive, maybe one day Ill appreciate them more.

IRE// 2009 Demo

This band contains members from Mindsnare, Blood Duster, and Samsara, the ultimate combination for a metallic hardcore band. Its fast and heavy but they control the speed with really heavy bits and the vokills are so good Beltsey is a killer singer, I can not wait for a record from this band no doubt it will be heavy as and will be a favorite for me. All three tracks a killer songs, check em out.

Bitter End// Climate Of Fear

Heavy hardcore, influenced by the metallic New York Hardcore bands of the late 80s and early 90s. Like Cruel Hand floor punching and stomping crushing record, all the tracks work real nice together.

Beastie Boys// Licensed To Ill

This album was a bit of a let down for me. I can not stand some of the music and lyrics to the album but Fight For Your Right, No Sleep Till Brooklyn, Brass Monkey, and Slow and Low are always going to be killer Beastie tracks, Girls is good but still dumb. The Album cover is fresh too. The only reason why I bought this record was because it was cheap and also Kerry King plays the lead to No Sleep… 

The Acacia Strain // The Dead Walk

Mosh.

Carpathian/Never Alone //SPLIT REC 2003

I have had this CD since  2005 but never really gave it a listen, till recently, just to see what t sound like again well but in 2005 it didn’t float my boat but in 2009 once song from the split is killer and thats why it is being included in this. Carpathian contribute three tracks to the split, opening and closing with Donnie Darko quotes, for ages right up until the release of Nothing To Lose they would always played Overdose some where in the setlist, which was the only song I gave a listen to until this year, the opening track Clenched Fist of Feeling slays everything off this split and most likely the heaviest Carpathian song written next to Snareroll, the greatest Carpathian so put to CD. Clenched Fist… has the biggest breakdown I have heard in a long time and close to Bury Your Dead breakdown from the era of You Had Me at Hello or Cover Your Tracks, it so good. I believe its hard to get this split now and you would never be able to really guess that it is Carpathian as they have never released anything else like it since.

Trapped Under Ice// Stay Cold

Stay Cold is heavy hardcore nothing else to it and there doesn’t have to because it is so good, in the same vein as Bitter End and Cruel Hand.

Until The End // Blood In The Ink

Nothing Between Us is why I bought this record and it should be the reason why you buy this record. Nothing Between… has to be one of my favorite songs I knew it long before I had even heard of the band its just so crushing, the whole album is full of crushing straight edge anthems its all about the mosh.

Internal Affairs//Deadly Visions EP

$4.99 this EP was at JB HI FI , best $4.99 I have spent in along time, straight up Hardcore, fast and attacking the state of Hardcore at the time of its release.  The whole EP rules No Good Game In HC, Reality Check, #2, and Deadly Visions are the most killer tracks from this record.

Raekwon// Only Built 4 Cuban Linx…/

Ghostface Killah //Iron Man/

GZA//Liquid Swords

It is also considered among the greatest of the Wu-Tang clansmens’ solo-releases, ranked next to Liquid Swords by the GZA and Iron Man by Ghostface Killah. I have gone and bought this album (Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...) and the other two albums after buying Ol’ Dirty Bastard’s Return To The 36 Chambers… because that album ruled I looked into the other solo releases, it was these three that were said to be the best.  I would say out of the three Liquid Swords is the strongest because it is the most consistent and is not full of pointless little interludes that get repetitive. But in saying that each album have killer tracks on them like for Ghostface Wildflower rules, same with:  Daytona 500, 260 and Iron Man.  Raekwon Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… follows the same formula as Wu-Tang’s 36 Chambers of Death, which is fresh but it is this album that has little annoying parts and pointless interludes that get on my nerves if they were not there man this CD would be killer, but it still has killer tracks: Ice Cream, Knowledge God, Gullotine (swords), Criminology, Verbal Intercourse and Can It Be All So Simple.  GZA Liquid Swords like Only Built 4… follows the same structure as Wu-Tang album but does not have any annoying parts its a killer record all but one song rules, which is Shadowboxin’, which is ruined by Method Man’s whack style of sing a part to the song besides that this album is real good, with songs Dual Of The Iron Mic, Living In The World Today, Cold World, Gotcha Back, Swordsman and B.I.B.L.E.

Wu-Tang// THE W

I heard this album back in 2000 when it first came out, it was my first contact with Wu-Tang music.  Back then it did have an impact on me but I was still really staunch into metal so I didn’t really follow it up until now. Its a really strong album with maybe two or three weak songs.  Chamber Music, Careful (click, Click), Hollow Bones, Protect Ya Neck (The Jump Off), Let My Niggas Live, Do You Really (Thang, Thang), and  Gravel Pit all rule. I would say that Careful (click, Click) and Do You Really (Thang, Thang) are the strongest tracks off this album.  I think this album and Enter The 36 Chambers are two Wu albums you must own.

SLAYER// Diabolus in Musica

I looked at my Slayer section in the CD Rack and realized that I have all the prolific Slayer CDs bar this one and Christ Illusion so I decided that I will get them just for the sake of having majority of the Slayer CD Catalogue. Diabolus in Musica is seen as Slayers attempt to cash in on the  Nu-Metal craze that was happening at this time of release, 1998. Because of this its said to be one of their weaker albums, well I disagree Divine Intervention sucks the only reason why that sits in my CD collection is because it has Ditto Head on it, man that song fucking rules besides that song the rest are weak as. Diabolus in Musica has some of crushing songs on it Bitter Piece so heavy ,Stain of Mind killer, In the Name Of God, Overt Enemy, and Perversions of Pain are very strong Slayer songs and stand up against their early stuff.  I reckon Biter Piece  is the best song check that one out for sure. The only thing that really bums me out of this album is it has a killer image for the front cover of a priest looking evil as, what is missing is the Slayer logo they have used some font that they think looks evil and scary, this is where I reckon they tried to cash in on Nu-Metal craze by erasing their logo.

BLACKLISTED// Heavier Than Heaven Lonelier Than God

Again I got this record for a bargain at $6.65, and again this record is so fresh. Stations starts off slow blows out to a made fast part to then transform into a killer groove section. From here it goes a neck brake speed, to then come to a crushing slow passe at Circuit Breaker then to pick up  again until the closing track Wish.  Stations is my favorite track but just because of the killer groove section in the middle of the song.

Metallica// KILL “EM ALL

So raw, I couldn’t listen to this album for years until this year. Because I saw a  Cruel Hand video where they cover some songs off this album.  Man, Hit The Lights, The Four Horseman, Motor Breath, (Anesthesia) Pulling Teeth, Whiplash, No Remorse, Seek & Destroy and Metal Militia  are so good raw as but so heavy. I am starting to like this with maturity you discover such good music.

Carpathian/Shipwreck A.D.// Live 7″

This 7″ contains two songs by each band live down at Somerville Mechanics Hall. Carpathian Cursed and Insomnia, Shipwreck have Mirage and Samur. I have to say the Carpathian side is stronger because they have two good songs recored, the Shipwreck songs are not their strongest.  I love this record just because its so raw and I reckon that Carpathian’s album Isolation is sounds so good live so its nice to have recording of some of the songs from it, I have their Triple J performance taped of the radio, where they played majority of Isolation and nothing else, man , the sound is perfect, it sounds better than the record Isolation, its so droning and heavy, I have to look in to getting it converted to CD or MP3s.

50 Lions// 7”

Side A contains two new songs and side B contains two re-recorded tracks: Wake and Life In The Dogbox. Living Hell and Caged the two new songs are some of the best 5o Lions tracks I have heard heavy as, I like the direction 50 Lions are going.

Hatebreed//For The Lions

Hatebreed I  guess was my introduction to hardcore music so I have a soft spot for them which resulted in my buying For The Lions, an all covers album.  The cool thing about this covers album is that its a heavy band covering other heavy and extreme bands, un-like a lot of heavy bands cover bands that are not heavy say this influenced them, well Hatebreed do it in style covering classics: Slayer’s Ghost of War, Suicidal Tendencies‘-Suicidal Maniac, Mad Ball– Set It Off, Obituary- I’m In Pain, Sepultura’s– Refuse/ Resist and Merauder –Life Is Pain. Merauder track is my favorite and has resulted in my looking for their CDs at the moment, heavy as hardcore, really like.

 

So after all that I hope you look into grabbing a few of these CDs.

MONEY WELL SPENT | Pt.6

Slayer 
Diabolus In Musica /// 1998

So Your In Love, Really?

I posed the question on someone the other night about if they were stuck on an Island what music would she take,  she refused to answer the question. Based on the fact she couldn’t answer  it, but I pushed on and got so vague  answer, I think I might have slightly changed the question to what music do you like it was Progressive Music,  then she managed to flip the question on to me, what music would I take. I couldn’t answer, so here is my response  a week  latter. In no particular order, there is way more, I’ll add to this latter.

 

1.Mindsnare

2.Beastie Boys

 

3.Shipwreck

 

4.Amen: We Have Come For Your Parents

 

5.SLAYER

 

6.Carpathian 

 

7.Wu-Tang Enter The Wu Tang 36 Chambers 

8. Blood Duster

 

 

9. Eddy Current Suppression Ring

 

10. Machine Head

 

11.PANTERA

 

12. Psi. Kore 

13. Hatebreed

 

 

14. Sepultura

 

15. Cold World

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