Review: BURN EVERYTHING "Hollow Victory" 7"

Genre: Metal-Hardcore/Mathcore

Location: NJ, USA

Band Website: Bandcamp

Label: Dullest Records

Do you happen to know a band called Burn Everything? If not, I believe it’s about time to discover them. Cause their two previous releases might have prepared the ground and warned us about what’s coming but their new release leaves no room for doubt. It is extremely positive when you see a band evolve and improve things whilst keeping all the good elements that has previously created. The 4-track 7" titled Hollow Victory that has just came out it’s simply the natural continuation of last year's EP and the beginning of a sound avalanche that has started to 

grow dangerously and nothing seems to be able to stop it.

So complicated music and style yet so simple. Burn Everything don’t step on their technical abilities in order to create a sound effect without order and structure. They don’t overwhelm with complex riffing and numerous changes. Cause through the complexity and the “out of tune” tempos, diffuses directness and simplicity. The distance that you have to cover is full of twists and turns but you‘ll have a pleasant trip and you will never lose your way. Everything is placed in the right spot, energy and passion is present at every second and when necessary they bombard you with death-ish tunes that shake your head miles away.

Okay, I can’t neglect the fact that the “math” sign, as also the huge similarity with Burnt By The Sun, is stuck on them but their music is enriched with all the elements needed to make a difference and to make this band special. Most important is that apart from the excellent bonding between guitar riffs, tempos and changes, each moment has a story to tell and has a reason to be there, at any point of this release. Thumbs up also for the improved production and sound compared always to their previous releases. The sound has the clarity needed to reflect the complex riffing and the heaviness and volume required to make Hollow Victory a bomb ready to explode at any time.

Burn Everything no longer bear the title “promising band”. They are far beyond that. Listening to Hollow Victory you will acknowledge that this band has a great potential. My only concern is whether they‘ll manage to break free from their influences (mainly Burnt By The Sun and Human Remains) and make their sound and music even more unique. Four tracks were perfect as a starter. I look forward for the main course!

- Nikos – nikostolis@gmail.com

FAITHREAT - "Thrashing with the Stars" EP Review

Genre: Crossover/Thrashcore

Location: Volos, Greece

Band Website: Bandcamp, Facebook

Label Websites: n/a

Released in the middle of fuckin' winter, here comes a 7inch release from the 5 stooges of Faithreat that reminds us there's still summer in our hearts!!

Co-released by 4 labels in 350 hand-numbered copies, there're no real words to describe this ep of theirs (I'd say PENIKUFESIN, ha-ha!), with the band to be inducted to Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame after all the fuss ends! Rumors are circulating that, initially, Chuck Norris and Steven Seagal were to write the review for the 7", but due to insurmountable differences and terrible disagreement they started trashing everything up with roundhouse kicks, so the band called on me to salvage the situation once again!

Let's get a little serious there for a while... The 8-song ep is aptly titled Thrashing with the Stars. Ιt consists of musical leftovers from the band's auditions for "Dancing with the Stars" [-We said, serious!!-Oh, ok…]. As you can tell, it's dedicated to movie characters who marked our childhood and continue to haunt our lives, such as Steven Seagal ("Unstoppable Force"), Chuck Norris ("Man or God?"), Mitch Buchannon and Robocop ("Iron Bin"). It also contains a Christmas debunking of the myth of Santa Claus, this corporate-created bearded man, a fuck-off to posers ("Meatballs") and my personal best, "Hairless Charm", dedicated to mighty fuckin' Tsakonas, the favorite 80's cult Greek comedian! No need to explain about him, he's already a legend!

Regarding the music: We got eight fierce short songs that really take no prisoners!! Straight to the face, kick-ass thrashcore / crossover that leaves you begging for more. Fast and intense, riffs cut like a razor, vocals sound just right and the production kills! Thumbs up also for the collage cover and gremlin artwork, courtesy once more of the notorious P. Ntolas. Overall, the ep is a nice foretaste of the band's full length to come, hopefully after the end of the world (12-12-12). Yeah you jive turkeys, Faithreat will survive the blast, cause they are approved by Chuck Norris himself! Highly recommended for fans of Suicidal Tendencies, D.R.I., Vitamin X, R.A.M.B.O. and the like.

That's pretty much all. I'd like to suggest that a free copy of the 7” along with a thank-you letter be sent to mr. Tsakonas, for the endless laughter he's been offering us all this time with his hilarious acting!

Enjoy life and thrash' em all,

Leonidas "For Those About to Mosh" (again)

Review: Deafheaven - "Roads to Judah" (Deathwish Inc)

Genre: Post Rock/Black Metal

Country: San Fran, USA

Band Website: Tumblr

Label Website: Deathwish Inc

I believe that is positive to push the boundaries and create something that has your signature on it, not only in music but in everything. Deafheaven are obviously trying to do that. Most of the people characterize their music as black metal, however I think that its more complex and I would like to make some comments about that. Ok, I agree that the drumming and the vocals as well as their sound in general will bring to your mind Norwegian forests and landscapes covered in snow. On the other hand though, when I cleared my mind and focused on the actual riffing and melodies I see a bigger connection to post-rock-metal than in black metal. And this is the controversial and the interesting part somehow. Their music teases your mind and throws it from wildness and roughness to tranquility, leaving you enough space to think wonder and get lost. One friend asked me what kind of music do Deafheven play and my answer was “It’s like Red Sparrows played 10 times faster. Include some torn vocals and now you got a hint”!

Their first official release, called Roads to Judah, contains four tracks only but with duration that approaches 40 minutes. The first song starts with an intro-part that lasts about 5 minutes and it is walking entirely on post-rock paths. Atmospheric, sweet melodies with a visible intention to put you in quite a relaxing mode. But when the noise starts, I don’t see many changes on the actual riffing and melodies. As I said before, the difference is in the drumming which becomes faster (in a black metal motive clearly) and in that someone is yelling blackly at a microphone. The first time I heard a pure black metal riff on the album was on the beginning of the second track and from this part on, riffs like that appear occasionally on the album. Clearly Norwegian influenced black metal at the style of Darkthrone and the “epic” and “winter” aesthetics of early Immortal. The fun part starts when the mixing of these two styles becomes more intense. So as the album goes on, we see an intention of combining black metal and post not only by separating one song in several parts, but in including post/alternative riffs while having their “black metal face” and visa versa. If someone pays some attention to the third and the fourth track I think he/she can also figure that out.

Concluding, I have to admit that I was not entirely fascinated by Roads of Judah, but I definitely found a reason to appreciate it, pay some more attention to it and place it in my music collection. Something is missing in order to make this album more exceptional. I believe that the main reason is that on the “black part” they are missing the black metal feeling and they maybe lack of capability to play this style of music. Increasing speed, buzzsawing on the guitar and putting some black metal vocals does not automatically mean that you have a black metal band or that you are playing black metal. I think that they are doing much better when they put their post uniform on and that is maybe why they cannot easily take it off. However, one certain thing about the album is that it gives a 100% travelling feeling. You will find yourself walking in landscapes, getting lost in forests and you will visualize lakes and colorful horizons. And that is definitely an accomplishment and something not so easy for a band to achieve with their music. Plus, it has its own identity!

Deafheaven have a lot of potential and I think I‘ll bet my money on them.

Nikos Tolis

nikostolis@gmail.com

Dead Swans: “Anxiety and Everything Else” (Bridge9 Records)

Genre: Modern Hardcore

Country: Britain, UK

Band Website: FB

Label: Bridge 9 Records

Dead Swans are a British hardcore band that has made quite an impact to the scene the last years. One full length, couple of EPs and a nomination at Kerrang awards as the Best British Newcomer are what they have to show up to date. But of course the reason why we are writing about their new release is not because of the quantity of their releases nor about their nominations, wins or losses at several awards. What we care about here is good music and since these guys continue to do that we are gonna bother ourselves talking about them. So, Dead Swans new release, second in a raw for Bridge9 records, is a 7 track EP called Anxiety and Everything Else that lasts approximately 15 minutes and it has definitely met our expectations.

At this new EP, Dead Swans actually continue from where they have stopped at their previous album. Include some extra speed and some killer break-downs and you get what you were looking for. Dead Swans feed us with aggressive hardcore till we bleed. And we like that! Their music has nothing to do with complexity, innovation, or commercialism. Here, it’s all about enthusiasm, energy, aggression and great ideas that step on known patterns. The opening “I‘ve been trying to leave” will convince you with its -straight to the face- attitude that will force you to enter the pit and will make your heart beat faster. The story goes on like that during the rest of the EP. Melodic parts appear at regular intervals in order to calm you down, let you breathe and…here we go again. Their sound and musical style will bring to your mind bands like Have Heart, Down to Nothing, Champion, Terror or even Snapcase.

Many times while hearing the EP I‘ve noticed that some parts reminded me of something but no matter how much I tried I ended up with the same conclusion: “It sounds like Dead Swans”. And probably that is what makes them a band worth talking about. Thumbs up for vocalist Nick who, I believe brings the band and the album to an upper level with his aggressive, passionate and diverse vocals. I guess that this release is a warm up for their new, full-length album to come. Our expectations have risen but something tells me that we can expect something even better from them in the future.

Note: “Anxiety and Everything Else” is highly recommended to fans of both the old school and the new era of hardcore.

Nikos Tolis

nikostolis@gmail.com

Old School Classics - Disrupt / Sauna "People Killing People" (split)

Our contributor Rigas goes back in time to review some legendary crust from grind pioneers Disrupt!

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Given that Disrupt is one of my favourite bands, it was really a hard choice which release to present here:  The cult classic 7’’ split with Destroy! (1991) or their most influential and probably most complete work ‘Unrest’ (1994)? Although, Unrest is their only full-length that actually kept Disrupt alive in punk history I chose to write something about their split album with Sauna as representative of that era and their most crustcore output.

Disrupt was one of the best hardcore punk bands of their era playing unrelentless ferocious crust/grindcore, or more aptly termed in this case discore (Dis-bands). I particularly like their style because there are no metallic influences just pure punk energy and ethos, unlike most of the ‘grind’ or ‘polished’ punk bands of today. Disrupt, like most of their peers back then, were spreading anarchist values:  DIY, abolitionist, anti-corporate, anti-authoritarian etc. (Check the anti-vivisection blast ‘A life’s a life’ from Unrest album).

Disrupt, hailing from Lynn, MA, US, were formed in 1987. They managed to release various splits, 7’’ and EPs in their short-lived career, which lasted only six years. They were in the same wave of bands as Dropdead, Destroy! and the likes. Actually, the songs found in this album were recorded only few months before their European tour (October/November 1993), after which they disbanded. Sauna, were a Swedish band and this is their only recording.

Recorded and mixed during two days (13^th and 14^th June 1993) at The  Lanes studio in Boston, MA by Bill Miller ‘People Killing People’ contains some of the most consistent tracks of Disrupt. Between the necessary Discharge and Extreme Noise Terror influences, Disrupt’s skilful and outright intense delivery sets them apart from the early American crust/grindcore bands. The riffs are crashing, the drums are pummelling, the vocals are lacerated in urgency. From the d-beat holocaust of ‘Xenophobia’, ‘You’ve no one left to blame’, ‘Succumb to the pressure’ and ‘An end to white rule’ to the slightly faster tracks ‘Trapped’ and ‘Leave me be’, this split album is a manifesto of punk essence. They even included a cover of ‘Protest’ from the UK anarcho-punk legends Conflict.

Sauna’s side is a good example of Swedish crust, albeit a bit weaker in comparison with Disrupt. The production at Markstudio with Mats Andersson is more muddy and downtuned. Highlights are the desperate, shouted vocals and the typical d-beat cuts ‘Welfare’and ‘Love’.  

Bottom line is that Disrupt delivered uncompromised music throughout their course to raise awareness and break the system apart. Their version of punk is stripped down to its pure, original essence: strictly political, rebellious and raw creating feelings of defiance and urgency. I suggest everybody should check them out. Disrupt were not playing punk, they were real punks. Not to forget also that 4 members went on to form the sludge masters Grief.

- Rigas(freegankolektiva@gmail.com)

Record Review: Comrades – "Collection 2010 – 2011" (Blood & Ink Records)

Great music-great musicianship and songwriting. Comrades delve into (mostly) instrumental, progressive rock and post-hardcore to eliminate musical boundaries and achieve a coherent whole. Enchanting melodies and captivating song structures, compiled here in a stunning release for the music enthusiast.

Genre: Rock / Post-hardcore
Country: USA
Label: Blood & Ink Records (link)
Band Website: Reverbnation
 

This is a rather unusual review for TYS, since Comrades’ music is much ‘softer’ compared to most of the bands presented here. Their sound might surely turn off some hardcore kids, but on the other hand it can surely please music enthusiasts. You can simple describe this as ‘good music’ without any terms and definitions. That is to say that these guys and gals, Joe, Connor and Laura, wrote some really inspired, good-sounding songs.

Now, more in detail, Comrades play rock with some post-hardcore hints here and there. That sounds like Sweet Cobra but Comrades invest more on ethereal, heartfelt melodies than sheer heaviness. There are surely parallels to post rock acts like Explosions in the Sky but again Comrades are quite different: their songs are more ‘unsettling’, featuring more changes and complex structures than the usual ‘building up climax to the point of distorted catharsis’ pattern. You can find some similarities to bands like Keelhaul, Red Sparowes or Burst (less), but although they share the passion of building ‘progressive’ songs with manifold changes of rocking riffs and melodies, Comrades are much less loud, sweaty and dissonant.

This album consists of 10 compositions, gathered over a span of time of two years as the title conveys. This is actually a compilation of 3 self-released EPs, as an outcome of their recent signing with Blood & Ink Records to be followed by a new album later this year. Most of the songs are instrumental and whenever vocals appear they just complement the message of the songs. The production is very bright and every instrument has its own place delivering all those timbres that you can expect from an instrumental rock band. Apart from unerring songwriting, Comrades’ are skilful players.

Riffs, melodies and tempo changes are intermixed in a very eclectic and captivating way. What really stands out here is the omnipresent enchanting melodies. The songs are utterly memorable and interesting to the point of ‘forced’ repeat. It is hard to talk about particular favourites here - all songs have something to say. They have a very grounded, human nature which is appealing directly from the heart of the musician to the heart of the listener: ‘Weight’, ‘Giants’, ‘Where Moth and Rust Destroy’ (the most HC song), ‘Hammerhand’, ‘Lend Me Your Heart’, ‘We Are Halves’, ‘Encourage, Encourage’. You can actually listen to the whole record through the following link:

http://bloodandink.bandcamp.com/album/collection-2010-2011

Comrades are doing their part; they have built their own sound and have pushed some elements of rock, progressive rock and post hardcore further. It is like they distilled those music styles into a coherent whole in order to expand, or better abolish, their boundaries.

Comrades come from Richmond, Virginia, US and they have toured extensively playing in any imaginable place. They are also part of the ‘Motherland Collective’, which is dedicated to re-establishing respect, collaboration and mutual support in the scene. As Comrades put it in their own words:

“[We are] Three very different people trying our best to make honest music about things we believe to be important, such as (but not limited to) integrity, the remedying of social injustice, and our creator God.”

Review by Rigas

 

Record Review: Robert of the Square "Time. Truth. Heart." (Hollow Earth Records)

A compelling debut EP from Robert of the Square that generates great hope for European avant-garde hardcore’s future. Rooted in both Botch-like dissonant structures and more expansive post-rock/post-hardcore themes, they explore the whole musical territory inbetween while treading in new ground. They develop a mature sound before they even introducing themselves.

Genre: Post-hardcore/Metal

Country: Italy

Label: Hollow Earth Records (link)

Band Website: Bandcamp

To be honest, the only thing I know about Italy’s hardcore is only some bandanna thrash and oldschool hardcore punk. Robert of the Square, from Trieste are remarkably different. They deliver a solid debut EP that is at least promising of great things to come. Surprisingly, their sound is already ‘mature’ enough to explore, appropriate and combine their influences to craft five ‘driving’ songs hard to go unnoticed. Well-written, skillfully-executed with an outstanding production their sound rests equally on mathcore and more expansive post-hardcore.

Although a comparsion with American peers like Achilles or The Minor Times (who came into prominence in the latter half of the 2010’s) would be valid, the listener soon realizes that Robert Of The Square consciously depart from that sound to explore a softer, more progressive and atmospheric side of the genre. For instance, the song ‘Dominio’ demonstrates most evidently their European character with dark haunting melodic riffing while still keeping the dazzling, palindromic Botch affairs all too well blended. Their sound is also informed by post-rock aficionados Mogwai and Red Sparrows.

The first number ‘Time’ is quite representative of what Robert Of The Square stand for musically: They enter the musical landscape with an interesting 1 minute ‘showcase’ of their explorative sound palette that sets the tone for the rest of the EP just to give place to typical mid-paced ‘cumbersome’ dissonance of Botch and the likes to fall back to more ‘stretched’ post-hardcore passages of earlier Swedish stalwarts like Burst and Breach.

There is no drawback in this EP, just plenty of memorable moment throughout the whole set. From the exquisite slow second part of ‘Truth’ that broadcasts some glimmers of unwinding hope to the dynamic complexity of ‘Impero’ which resembles some early-Norma Jean vibes and the monolithic heaviness of ‘Ego’ the genre of heavy, experimental music has won a gifted exponent. The vocals express insight and pressure, hard and throaty with no exceptions.

Every song is a creation, every song is ‘driving’ with manifold changes and tempo shifts intermingled, every song has a reason to be there altogether creating an exciting flow in the album. This EP, unsettling and experimental as it is, may open many musical paths for Robert Of The Square to follow. I recommend everybody to check them out, because they are a great hope for the avant-garde hardcore scene of Europe.

- Rigas

Record Review: OATHBREAKER - "Mælstrøm" (Deathwish Records)

With this post, Take Your Shot fanzine celebrates a total of 300 posts! We'd like to thank all the people who visit & read, as well as the bands and labels who support us and put out awesome music. It's been a long and joyful trip in the wondrous world of underground music and it's not like we feel like stopping any time soon. In fact, our crew is now stronger than ever! On this 300th post, contributor Nick reviews Oathbreaker's weird but melodic post hardcore/crust masterpiece. Read on & enjoy!

Genre: Post Hardcore/Crust

Country: Belgium

Label: Deatwish Inc

Band Website: facebook

Three years after the release of their outstanding self-titled EP, Belgium hardcore kids Oathbreaker, strike back with their first full length Mælstrøm. Yet, another fine piece of hardcore/crust/metal tunes that are worth our attention. What I really like on these guys & girls (lady on vocals) is that they achieve to combine various elements of heavy music, keeping the hardcore aesthetics at the front page and succeed to sound unique and everything else but boring.

Though I don’t usually write about particular songs of an album, I think that in this case it is the best way to review Mælstrøm and give a clearer idea about what you are about to listen and feel. This happens mainly because of the various elements included as well as because of the huge differences between each song. Let’s start randomly checking out some of the tunes then.

The album starts with a “black-ish” riff, confusing the ones that were expecting to hear a typical hardcore/punk band but immediately turns to be an á la Converge type song, showing the band's major influence and intentions. Moreover, we can't overlook that the album was mixed by Kurt Ballou and mastered by Alan Douches (Converge, The Dillinger Escape Plan). Crust-punk drumming and guitar riffing mainly follow the style of Cursed and Rise and Fall, accompanied at several points with “sick” guitar melodies and a lower tempo turn. These turns upgrade the song and remind us why Converge is one of the leading and most influential bands in the hardcore/metal scene the last 15 years. (Ok, I promise not to use the word Converge again in this review).

Mælstrøm goes on with a catchy-groovy-heavy yet trivial and indifferent riff that you have heard 1 million times before. However, it gets you in the mood and fortunately it doesn’t last long as the song (“Hierophant”) turns to be a typical crossover-thrash tune bringing memories of early nineties and late eighties bands. Similar lines are followed in the song “Thorn” (even the guitar solo is so fucking old-school) until the last minute, when it gradually enters a more doom/sludge notion and crawls with it till the end. I would like to mention again the “black-ish” sound and riffing that is obvious here as in many other songs of the album.

The highlight of this blackened sound is the six-minute “Glimpse of the Unseen” which is a 100% black metal song at the style of Satyricon (post-Rebel Extravaganza period), Tombs and Burzum. Sadistic low tempo riffs, grated guitars and torn vocals at one of the best songs of the album. Album closes with an acoustic 4 minute epilogue (“Mælstrøm”) that brings you back in a safe place and lets you breathe at normal rates again. Imagine Botch’s Afghamistam (the first part of it) with clean female vocals like Gathering and you get the picture! When the singing part starts, it's hard to believe that it's not Anneke Van Giesbergen's (The Gathering, Agua the Annique) voice, not only because of the voice similarity but also because of the similar vocal lines.

Sludge/Doom influences are also observed, i.e. in the third song of the album (“Fate Is High”), which starts with a riff that brings in mind bands like Solitude Aeturnus and Cathedral but it continues heavily influenced by more contemporary acts like High on Fire, Black Cobra and Kylesa. The rotation of fast and slow rhythms, the atmospheric feel and a more “fixed play” give you a feeling of entering dark passages and facing dragons and demons. Same story happens during the song “Black Sun”, which could be easily be described as the end of the story that started with “Fate Is High”.

Some of you might have been already convinced to check out the album (or not). Some of you might be confused. To be honest now from reading what I have written so far, I am a bit confused too. In the end, is it a good album or not? Can it be that such a weird mixture is good? Is it maybe a bit too much? Are they just copying all the things that I have described with nothing new to tell? But then I am thinking that Mælstrøm has been stacked into my playlist for more that two months already.

Oathbreaker sound way more mature than their previous work, show a tremendous capability to combine so many things, and they are not afraid to show their influences and to experiment with them. Finally, I would like to mention that I cannot think of or even imagine a better production for this album.

For the confused ones then, the clearer answer I can give to their doubt is: Check this shit out!

Nikos Tolis

nikostolis [at] gmail [dot] com

A welcome to our new contributor!

We are glad to announce that Markos from The Underdog hardcore webzine has joined the ranks of Take Your Shot and will contribute with his awesome reviews about (what else?) hardcore records. This is a guy who's been listening to hardcore for a really long time and definitely knows his shit when it comes to this music, let alone he loves it like few people out there do.

Throughout the years, he's been spreading hardcore through his webzine, has done loads of interviews with many notable HC bands (H20, Madball, Agnostic Front a.o.) and has sat behind the drums for a bunch of Greek HC bands (including a band we play in together called My Turn). Markos is a sXe dude but he'll review all styles of HC music, from negative heavy hardcore to melodic posicore.

Welcome to TxYxS, Markos!

p.s. You can check The Underdog Webzine here: http://daunderdog.blogspot.com/. 

Featured Band: Focused X Minds

FocusedxMinds hail from Milwakee, Wisconsin, US. Even if Milwakee is not particularly famous for HC punk, you should check out FxM for some passionate and self-empowering straight edge HC, because they are making big noise right now with incessant touring and recording.

They already have a great demo (2010) that you can download for free here: http://focusedxminds.bandcamp.com/.

Somewhere between a NYHC / Boston sound and fastpaced straight edge HC (at times thrashcore), songs like ‘No Satisfaction’ and ‘Free Your Thinking’ are bursting into youthful blasts of positive energy.

Earlier in 2011 FxM released a 7’’ at 6131 Records, titled ‘Stay Focused’, which contains 3 tracks from the demo plus 3 new songs!  Especially the title track is one of the best songs I have heard lately. A couple of days ago FxM got out of the studio after recording a bunch of new songs to be released in a 3-way split with Out of Time and Another Mistake later during spring 2012 by 6131 Records. So, stay tuned, there is a lot coming from FxM!

FxM are a new band but they are spreading out mature messages (sxe, animal rights, personal change etc.) and seriously positive vibes. FocusedxMinds stand for being open-minded while being a straight edge kid. It is about self-determination refuting stagnation in any doctrines or submission to norms (even within a sub-culture).

I recall the times when the straight edge community has suffered from ‘zero tolerance’ mentalities and militant violence towards people who do not follow straight edge lifestyles. There is a difference between being passionate about your beliefs and being blinded by them. In a passionate state you can go forward while in a blind condition you can become destructive and backward-minded.

- Rigas

Links:

http://focusedxminds.tumblr.com/

http://www.last.fm/music/FOCUSEDxMINDS    

http://www.facebook.com/FOCUSEDXMINDS

http://www.stereokiller.com/FocusedXMinds

http://focusedminds.blogspot.com/

https://twitter.com/focusedxminds

http://focusedxminds.bandcamp.com/

Record Review: LIGEIA "Welcome to Palm City" (self-released)

Ligeia return after a two-year hiatus and they choose the most direct way to reach their fans: by offering them their new record for free download. No record labels or other merchants in between, just the band and the listener. I personally support this DIY attitude! This is also why I got into this review. According to Keith Holuk (singer), this decision was a present to all the kids that supported them throughout the years. The download file contains also a booklet with cover, lyrics, photos and info. Thumbs up!

Ligeia was formed in Massachusetts, USA back in 2003. The group has 2 records with Ferret Music under its belt, 2006’s Your Ghost is a Gift and Bad News released in 2008. We are talking about a very experienced band that has managed to play over 600 shows in a 2-year period between 2006 and 2009! That is to say they have the attitude of spreading their music by playing all over the place wherever they can, which is respectable.

The EP kicks in quite fast and hard without wasting any moment. During the first half a minute of ‘Simulated Drowning’ there is a newschool melodic hardcore passage ala Ruiner/Modern Life Is War.  Soon after different aspects of their music are coming into surface like the standard modern metalcore vocal ranges (from pop punk to distorted screams). I need to mention the nice rocking riff at 01:20 leading to a breakdown. The song closes with a dramatic hardcore melody and some poppy vocals on top. The second number ‘Two Weeks Notice’ is more typical metalcore style but has a drunken rocking touch that reminds a bit of Every Time I Die.

Welcome to Palm City contains some memorable songs like the ‘Vodka Demon’ (with guest vocals from Drew York of Stray from the Path) or moments like the driving riff at the beginning of ‘Lie To Me’. The production is neat and clean by Jay DeLuca at The Bear’s Den studio and delivers what Ligeia wants, albeit it does not manage to move much from the standard. Especially the rhythm section has the modern cliché plastic sound, although the musicianship is quite accomplished. However, there is more stand out work on the guitars, they have an exceptionally versatile sound that is less distorted and more rocking in comparison.

Overall, this EP kept me hooked throughout the listen, although I am not too much in this type of hardcore music. It marks some progress for the band since their last effort Bad News: they sound more ‘mature’, with improved guitar work and more serious lyrics. What makes a difference with the rest of this overpopulated scene is the honesty of the band and their more melodic hardcore approach. At least, I prefer this EP than the new super-selling overproduced metalcore stars The Devil Wears Prada or Asking Alexandria not to mention Design The Skyline, who are all drenched in synths that remind impoverished black metallers like Dimmu Borgir.   

I am thankful to Ligeia for sharing these 20 minutes of music with us! You can have it yourself here:

http://www.thebearsdenstudio.com/download.php

Rigas

www.myspace.com/ligeia

www.facebook.com/ligeiaband

Review: HARM's WAY "Isolation" (Closed Casket Activities)

Harm’s Way play brutal hardcore, but unlike many peers, they are as solid and heavy as it can get without any melodic ear candies or other trendy elements inside. In the present album Harm’s Way put together the grooviest and heaviest styles from hardcore and metalcore, to transform them into a sound uniquely theirs. You can be sure that this record is going to conquer your soundsystem in heavy rotations!

At first listen, Isolation does not sound that startling or extraordinary, rather tardy worn out and cliché, nevertheless it grabbed me from the neck with its megatone heaviness. Slowly as the tracks went by, I started realizing that Harm’s Way stand out from the crowd of ‘chugga-chugga’ thugs and copycats. Especially after listening the title track things got more interesting and addictive to the point that I kept repeating the tracks again and again. Isolation contains at least three of my favourite brutal hardcore numbers of the last years, namely ‘Breeding Grounds’, ‘New Beginnings’ and of course ‘Isolation’.

Here’s the recipe: 90’s mid-paced brutal hardcore ala Buried Alive, Hatebreed, Strife, Terror,  Naysayer etc., pounding open-chord progressions reminiscent of Machine Head (‘The more things change’-period), Throwdown, Soulfly etc (but totally hardcore and personalized). They make some occasional use of thrashy but warm and tuneful Merauder-like riffing of Master Killer era (pay attention to the 2:18 of ‘Slither’ or the starting riff of ‘Pretender’). There are some influences from darker hardcore acts like Integrity or the newcomers Xibalba but also slow downtuned boneshaking Crowbar grooves alongside doom hints. Yes, there are also breakdowns, but given in the band’s plodding and harsh style.

All is delivered in Isolation under an ice cold, introvert yet devastatingly heavy prism with black & white aesthetics. It is anguish, nihilism and soreness that drives Harm’s Way, not the street attitude. It is not another band that produces plastic copy/paste patchworks by the pound; the more you dive into Isolation, the more you realize that it is a cult album that paradoxically deviates from the standard macho style in spite of its heaviness and dance parts. Even though Harm’s Way is a straight edge band, this fact passes totally unnoticed throughout the record.

The songs are perfectly-crafted to reach their ends of pulverizing despair and anger: riffs, moshing grooves, breakdowns put in just the right place to create a flow of different tempos. The severe throaty vocals are sparingly used to force repetitive abstract words into the music like nails and make the crash absolutely harder (in ‘Becoming’ the phrase "cast a shadow. plead. freed" is repeated throughout the whole song). That is a real departure from the tiring endless screaming used by most bands nowadays. 

There are also some more subtle elements that push this record even further like the 2:55 minute mark of the ‘New Beginnings’, where the open-chord groove is molded into pure distorted heaviness that brings sludge/drone mantras in mind (especially the opening riff of Torche’s ‘Charge of the Brown Recluse’). When the vocals kick in the outcome is scorching! Another super effective creative detail is the mellow, quiet end of ‘Slither’ that has an Oceanic era Isis touch (and all the feelings of detachment and withdrawnness it denotes). It lasts only 50 seconds but is again repeated in ‘Pretender’ (the album’s closer) which finishes off with a  synth-assisted epic doom riff.

Isolation is honestly delivered, not overproduced but it has definitely a crashing production (by Andy Nelson at Bricktop Studios, mastered by Carl Saff at Saff Mastering) and highly danceable grooves that can tear any moshpit apart. Harm’s Way deliver mid-paced metallic hardcore of monstrous heaviness; a homage to the 90’s with a reclusive personal twist. While they incorporate a dark image and a hard sound they do not mix many styles (crust/black etc.) like other contemporaries do (see Rise & Fall, Oathbreaker, Trap Them, All Pigs Must Die etc.), they prefer to stay on the straight side of brutal hardcore. Not a single note drifts away from hardcore sound, rather all instruments are packed together like a fist of concrete. Thumbs up also for the great cover illustration by John MacNair!

Harm’s Way have been always changing, steadily focusing their sound on what culminated into Isolation, which is by far their best effort to date. Since it is a relatively young band, the expectations are sky-high for their next steps.  I would be surprised if there are any bands out there that can do any better metallic hardcore than these guys from Chicago.

Harm’s Way previous discography:

(2007) Imprisoned 7’’ EP (Organized Crime records, Tooth Decay Records)

(2009) Reality Approaches (Organized Crime records)

(2010) No gods, No Masters EP (Closed Casket Activities)

- Rigas

http://www.facebook.com/harmsxway
http://www.closedcasketactivities.com/

Record Review: RETOX "Ugly Animals" (Ipecac recordings/Three One G)

Retox, seems to be another project band of Justin Pearson (mainly known for his presence at the noise-chaotic-grindcore band The Locust) and their new album…kick ass! I‘ll try to explain myself by telling you a story.

You press the play button and after 13 minutes you wonder what the fuck blew your head away. It takes less than a quarter of an hour so you wonder. Is this possible? You press the play button again. Same result. Then you realize…it’s true….it‘s really happening. Retox, with their first full-length album Ugly Animals succeeded to produce something brilliant. They had warned us one year ago with the release of their self-titled EP and now they come back with an excellent performance again.

An amount of some noise punk/hardcore filled with drops of crust/fastcore and with lots of energy, sickness and creativity, Tragedy meets Some Girls and Cursed meets Melt Banana. Everything coordinated, everything in its right place. 

I don’t think I have to say anything else to describe something so straight forward and direct like “Ugly Animals”. I believe that it’s better to listen to the album instead of spending time reading this review.

Nick Tolis

Record Reviews: SSS "Problems to the Answer" (Earache Records)

SSS are a bunch of English hardcore dudes who probably loved their skateboards and thrash too much. They have been delivering blistering crossover thrashcore since the late 00s and have been doing it better than many 'thrash revival' muppets. They have a new album on Earache Records, which is a total scorcher! Review by Rigas (rigalbigal [at] yahoo [dot] com).

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Do you think there is a gap between NYHC, fast oldschool trash metal, crossover, fastcore and grind? Well, SSS (meaning Short Sharp Shock – not Super SS or other nazi stuff) are filling this niche pretty well with their 3^rd full length. No fancy stuff, no polished production - just music straight in your face and I appreciate that. These guys from Liverpool, UK manage to pack 25 songs in 41 minutes, hence most of the numbers are less than 2 minutes long.

The first song ‘The First Kill’ starts in an oldschoool Crossover / thrash manner akin to SOD, Whiplash, Slayer and Dark Angel. The vocals are shouted, reminding me Billy Milano (SOD), Roger Miret (Agnostic Front) and a bit of Ray Cappo (Youth of Today) but also Benediction in the few death metal growls. The second song is a short r’n’r d-beat tune while the third is a 15 second fastcore blast reminiscent of Cause for Alarm (self-titled 7’’), but also newer acts like early Bratpack. The fourth song ‘Laughing leads to crying’ is again somewhere between crust and NYHC while the following ‘White bread’ is a grindcore injection. Obviously, there is quite some variation between tracks. I heard even a Suicidal Tendencies style crossover in ‘Tales out of school’. ‘Direct Action’ could be the last snap before activists hit the streets! :) The last song ‘Strangenotes’ is a long experimental closer for the album, but it did not impress me.

Overall, although Problems to the Answer is not totally groundbreaking, it has a lot of stimulating moments like ‘Foreign Body Plot’ which is really a punk-thrash-crust crossover or the throwback thrash of ‘Sick Pleasures’. The vocals are fitting all needs of the songs, the bass is quite pronounced & pummeling and the music is altogether well-executed. SSS seem to possess a vast knowledge of U.S. hardcore punk and everything crossover plus they put a good deal of effort in this release, taking care of the songwriting and the general flow of the record.

Compared to their previous releases, this time they come with more speed (grind!), tempo shifts and variety, something which is positive. I think crossover thrashing skaters will appreciate this release as it is easy-to-follow straight music. Don’t leave your brains on the pavement! SSS continue their crossover revival discography carry keeping the tradition of crossover in the new age, where ‘the armies of punk rock and thrash metal finally come together into a unified front bent on exposing social injustice and political hypocrisy’.

Record Review: TOMBS "Path of Totality" (Relapse Records)

TOMBS have an awesome new album on Relapse Records entitled Path of Totality. Check out the following review by Rigas and find out why this record should accompany the upcoming fall/winter.

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What's next in 2011’s blender?!  There is a lot of good stuff out there at the moment, so let’s check directly Tombs’ latest release. Tombs come from Brooklyn are quite known in U.S. underground, most notably for their granite sound and crushing live performances. The band carries on in a string of good releases, following ‘Winter Hours’ in 2009. This is their sophomore full-length (and by far their longest), with the ‘total’ title ‘Path of Totality’. The band has also scored a self-titled EP in 2007 and a split with Planks in 2008.

The song ‘To cross the land’ sounds like Neurosis jamming with Darkthrone with vocals varying from desperate early Isis shouts to growls and more black infused screams. It starts with an atmospheric intro reminiscent of Isis/Neurosis but more pale and ‘colorless’ to be followed soon by black metal riffing to finish in a doom and discordant mode.  I consider this the first ‘real’ song, because ‘Black Hole of Summer’ is more like an opener where the dynamics of the band are presented, but there is nothing  substantial there (filler?). The keys used there are not such a good idea according to my taste and I am glad I did not listen to them again throughout the record (only at the very end).

The third number, ‘Constellations’, marks the first affiliation with hardcore punk that incorporates a brutal hardcore riff from late 90’s era.  ‘Bloodletters’ is a harvest of so many styles like death/black metal – post rock – hardcore, yet Tombs manage all this quite skillfully. This scenario pretty much sets the tone for the rest of the album with songs ranging from 3 to 7 minutes. I should mention ‘Cold Dark Eyes’ which is a highlight song that culminates at an amazing melody (akin to Red Sparowes, Explotions in the Sky, Godspeed you black emperor!). What is interesting here is that they arrive to this melody after black metal and crushing mid-tempos, whereas their post rock colleagues would climax there after acoustic calm passages.  ‘Black Heaven’ and ‘Red Shadows’ are also exciting songs.

TOMBS: Happy

The black metal parts seem to have become a trademark of their music after the 2008’s split, although this time sound a bit more neat and cozy. The band is influenced predominantly from black metal (but stripped down to fit with the other genres) and Neurosis/early Isis with a touch of Red Sparrowes in the melodies. To a lesser extend, we could trace back influences from clevocore sound (most notably Integrity) and newer bands like Cursed, Rise and Fall, Trap Them etc. This heavy/dark hardcore sound is growing with more bands emerging (Oathbreaker, All Pigs Must Die etc.). I can also find artistic similarities (e.g. dark image, serious dedication) to other genre-defying bands like Unearthly Trance and Dephosphorus. I have the feeling that Justin Broadrick would be smiling listening to the wall of sound this band can build. The difference with other hardcore acts is that they have an expansive sound where even the sparse (dark and bitter) melodies are let to breathe. Anyways, Tombs is more a metal band it seems.

The production from John Congleton (Baroness, Explosions in the Sky) is good, dark but warm with the necessary depth. I would prefer it a bit more rough (which would strengthen the black metal side of the group), but I also acknowledge the difficulty of harbouring all these different styles while maintaining a cohesive sound. The vocals, which are above average, vary greatly from black (sometimes reminding some Rotting Christ growls) to deep goth-style. It is one of the few occasions that variation works positive for the band (I am really tired of the clean/brutal plastic vox!). The desperate shouts ala Isis (Celestial era) is my personal fav. The lyrics are dark, bleak and uncanny forecasting the doomsday. I really enjoy the sound of the drums while drumming is smashing, tight and clever.

The album comes also in double LP from Relapse records. The beautiful cover is created by Thomas Hooper. The album calls for those that look beyond trends and seek for original heaviness. On the other hand, this record gives me the feeling that the sound of Tombs is yet to be completed

Rigas

Do you like Tomb’s ‘Path of totality’ cover? Find out more about Thomas Hooper (NYC):

http://meditationsinatrament.com/bio/

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jan/23/tattoo-artists-new-york

Check out more visual artists related to new cult bands:

Glyn ‘Scrawled’ Smyth:

http://scrawleddesign.blogspot.com/

http://www.cvltnation.com/scrawled-the-art-of-glyn-smyth/

http://www.myspace.com/scrawled/

Viral Graphics (Athens, GR):

http://www.cvltnation.com/true-craftmetalship-viral-graphics/

http://www.gigposters.com/designer/94348_Viral_Graphics.html

http://www.myspace.com/viralgraphics