Black Coffee - 2012 Demo Tape Review (Self-Released)

Black Coffee! What a name fro this no-frills hardcore outfit from Australia, which has released a demo of nasty punk waiting to rip at your throat. BC follow the uber old school approach of 0% metal hardcore in the vein of other current hardcore bands like Noose and Another Mistake.

Usually at this point we'd say that even though these guys are loyal to the old school tradition, they have their own sound and they stand out because of this and that, but... there is no need to do that here. Black Coffee has a clear task at hand, and that is to recreate a much loved (but also kind of extinct), true sound that is generally known as the roots of hardcore. The closer thing I can think of is SSD with a bit more extra speed and spite (if the latter is actually possible). All early, snotty, thrashy early US hardcore is a reference here, like Jerry's Kids, Necro, and all that good stuff. Hell, there is even an Urban Waste cover to seal the deal.

There are 8 songs in this demo, and every instrument is played in an abrupt and unforgiving manner, while hints of Aussie accent arise here and there as the cherry on the cake. It's good that we live in times modern enough to allow a good production sound even for demos. Here the production is not perfect but it doesn't need to be, as long as everything sounds kind of clear -- which does. Also, I personally I have to note that demos often have some of the best and most original artwork out of all extreme music releases. That's before the opinionated labels come in to influence and change everything (a sad fact of life). This is also the case with Black Coffee. Their whole demo - physically released only on tape - has a super neat layout, as their black & white artwork is simply irresistible and perfectly matches their dry, pissed off, tornado hardcore style.

What is there to not like about a band which plays fast-paced hardcore like the good ol' times? This is the real deal for every hardcore bum who hasn't mellowed out, or the skater kid who is ready to step out and find the original spirit of this music.

P.S. Black Coffee is a side project of other Aussie HC/punk acts (Hard Luck, Faux Hawks + others) and I can't seem to find any band pages on the net, aside from this post at Rest Assured Zine. The demo can be downloaded for free from the abovementioned link. Enjoy!

Bitter American - 7" EP (Cricket Cemetery Records)

Fuck I'm pissed off. And when I feel like this, the only legal way to vent is through some fast, angry, super pissed music. Bitter American is just like that; they have that ultra rough proto hardcore sound (think Black Flag, Bl'ast etc) but played with definitely more speed and dirt. The outcome is totally scorching and although it can make your ears bleed, it has a cleansing effect on your troubled head.

Bitter American's new 7" is another insane hardcore product of the profoundly noisy Cricket Cemetery records. The label specializes at releasing the dirtiest, trashiest (not thrashiest), meanest hardcore out there, and they do it with unique style. Bitter American is the perfect example of what the labels' all about. This band takes no punches and lands 4 short hardcore blasts of frantic drumming, short riffs, loud bass, and madman vocals. The outcome is a swift punch right in the middle of your face, leaving you on the floor wandering what just happened.

The 7" begins with a 28 second build up of feedback noise and incomprehensive drumming, leading up to the general chaos that takes place throughout the short 5 minutes that this ep lasts. Every song hits hard and straight to the point, with the last song packing a bit of, dare I say, melody to it. There is some type of tuneful guitar noodling oin the background, while the singer repeatedly spits the phrase my mind is a wrecking ball. Couldn't be more right on this one.

This is utterly and most definitely music for this bored generation; we have short attention spans, we are bored to death with all the shit people call entertainment, we desperately need to get out kicks and escape this mundane existence. We need bands like Bitter American to accompany our soundtrack and accomplish the above.

Bitter American will go down well with all fans of noisy hardcore, loud punk, maybe even those hipster fastcore / powerviolence freaks. It could also serve as the punk listen for grindcore and crust / dbeat fans. In fact, fuck it, this band should do justice all fans of extreme and pissed off culture. Get into it!

BITTER AMERICAN - "Infinate Tick" by Cricket Cemetery

And make sure to check the label Crick Cemetery here: http://cricketcemetery.com/home.html

Record Review: LTW "Total Carbage" 7"

Cricket Cemetery is a US label that specializes in discordant, scorching hardcore punk that is definitely a step ahead of today's standards. The label is releasing one crucial 7" after the other, attacking the world with beautifully incomprehensible hardcore noise that goes unmatched in the current HC/punk (and even metal) scenes. This is our first Cricket Cemetery review, for the band LTW.

The phantom HC outfit which goes under the name of LTW is a perfect example of the label's dilapidated take on hardcore, as their Total Garbage 7" brings the noise like it aint no thing. LTW deliver three relentless hardcore blasts of rabid drumming, loud as fuck basslines, demented barked vocals and a production sound that is dirtier than CBGB's toilet.

What is really going on here is a demolition and reorganization of hardcore's bare essentials: short punk riifs, explosive layers of distortion and crazy breakneck rhythms. This ultra-sped Black Flag bastard of a son is combined with tons of feedback, well placed psychedelic breaks and some silent parts that indeed leave you wandering "what the fuck?" For sure, this would go down better with fans of powerviolence, fastcore, grind etc compared to the typical hardcore fan.

I guess Cricket Cemetary reinvents the hardcore of a new generation and, quite possibly, this is what the hipsters will soon be listening to (hopefully not). In either case, my ears hurt!

http://cricketcemetery.com/

Ups: a new style, 100% craziness and a rawness you can't debate

Downs: too dirty for some

Lowdown: maniac hardcore that you can either take or not