Counts of Arson...

OUT OF SIGHT X NERD CREW 2011

2011-06-22T00:13:00.000-07:00

Lots of updates for Out of Sight since I posted our demo link on here, check out our blog if you care.... OUT OF SIGHT.

Just a quick run down of things to come in the near future: React Showcase, Van Isle Fest, 7", shows this summer, (hopefully) some touring.

-xCHADx

Frankie Stubbs side projects: Jessie - Singles, and Pope - Johnpaulgeorgeringo LP

2011-06-22T00:03:00.000-07:00

Man, I am happy. I had jammed Jesse and Pope songs on Youtube for the past couple years but I've had real troubles finding full downloads of either bands material. I stumbled across this tonight and had to throw up a download before bed! I felt it was a good way to show that this blog is still alive and kicking (hard to believe, I know)! Now, if only I can get my hands on a nice rip of the Jessie LP!

These are both Frankie Stubbs bands that were happening as side projects after the first breakup of Leatherface...and both are really fucking good! I would write a much longer post, but I'll leave you with that for tonight as I want to get to bed.

Respect and thank you goes to the people who originally uploaded these records. I'm sorry I don't have links to your blogs right now!

Pope - Johnpaulgeorgeringo LP

Jesse - Singles (95-98)

-xCHADx

OUT OF SIGHT - DEMO 2011 (New Vancouver Straight Edge)

2011-01-30T16:08:00.000-08:00

James and I's band Out of Sight finished our demo the other day. Check it out if you have a sec. We'll have cassettes at the end of February. It's streaming on our blog, and you can download it as well if you feel so inclined.

http://outofsightxvancouver.blogspot.com

-xCHADx

ATTN VANCOUVER: PUNK GIG

2011-01-11T21:02:00.000-08:00

Negative Standards EP

2011-01-02T16:33:00.000-08:00

I can't beleive it's been something like 6 months since I last posted on here. It's 2011 now, so let's start things off right. I'll start to make an effort to start doing this at least once every couple of weeks (ha). Anyways..

I received an e-mail from a band called Negative Standards wanting to see if I'd be interested in posting their new EP, and after hearing it I'm more than happy to do so. They play some really dark and raging d-beat hardcore, just the way that daddy likes it. Comparisons to His Hero Is Gone and From Ashes Rise are kind of inevitable from me, but the band definitely adds their own feel to the mix. All in all, this has great energy, a real sense of urgency, and deserves total support. Heavy as fuck, totally crushing, and most importantly; pissed right off.

This a split release between Gay Scientist and Five-Ten tapes, from which you can order the release. Check out a sample at the Negative Standards website, or download below.

DOWNLOAD

- XEVANX

Chain Of Strength - 7" Rips

2010-12-21T17:39:00.000-08:00

WE'RE NOT DEAD. I'm bringing this shit back. Don't have access to a ton of my files right now as my old computer crashed, BUT I've got some things saved onto my laptop, and I'm sitting in bed doing nothing so here you go!

My man Russell did this TIGHT rip of my Chain Of Strength 7"s. If you haven't heard these recordings before...DOWNLOAD THIS RIGHT NOW! You will be amazed! The songs sound straight up different, and in my opinion WAY MORE POWERFUL! For anyone like me who has been raised a Chain fan off of the discography LP, you need to hear these recordings! There are extra guitar tracks, the production is different, parts that sound way moshier...fuck. So much different about it, it's insanity! I'm kind of going nowhere with this write up, just download it and see for yourself.

Thanks to Russell for doing an amazing rip!

DOWNLOAD NOW

-xCHADx

PS: despite the lack of updates, I feel like this is a pretty crucial way to come back, so if anyone still follows this thing: here you go. Happy Holidays.

ALL AGES HARDCORE

2010-11-19T00:30:00.001-08:00

ATTN VANCOUVER, BC: COME TO THIS.

ATTN ANYONE WHO READS OUR BLOG: Sorry for the lack of updates. I've got some stuff planned to post up soon, I'll try and get this thing going again when I have a chance!

-xCHADx

HOLY HELL...

2010-07-28T10:58:00.000-07:00

We shat the bed. I'm gonna do more updates soon, I promise. Life's gotten in the way lately. It's beautiful out, I've been buying tons of records, hanging out....and not spending much time on my computer. Woops!

In the meantime, enjoy some quality live footage of The First Step from 2008. Another Hate5Six video. I miss this band. Seeing them like three or four times in 2006 was a major highlight.

- xCHADx

Kiss It Goodbye - She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not

2010-06-16T23:53:00.000-07:00

It is time to blog this beast.

If you already know...well, YOU KNOW. And if not, well prepare to have that good mood you're in (assuming you're in one) completely fucking annihilated. Say goodbye to that smile on your face! And if you're already not feeling so hot, prepare to feel even fucking worse. She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not is one of the ANGRIEST, most hateful hardcore records I have heard, EVER. Seriously, I could be in the best of moods.. but after putting this LP on and getting through the first couple tracks alone I find myself feeling completely fucking negative and pissed off. By the end of it, I can't help but think of everyone/everything that I fucking despise, and everything else that makes me feel completely fucking irate and destructive. There are some other records that can actively effect my mood in a positive or negative way, but I think that this is one of the few that actual can have a drastic effect on how I feel when listening to it, and that's pretty damn impressive!

Now, why would you want to listen to a record that just puts you in such a terrible mood? Because it's really fucking good. One of the best hardcore records of the 90s (yes, I tend to throw that around a lot, but seriously, this ones WAY up there). The band was made up of the core members of both Deadguy and Rorschach. Tim Singer sounds like he's going through some serious torment just attempting to get through the entirety of this record, at times just straight up gritting his teeth as he mumbles and screams. Tim Singers ramblings, combined with the off time, twisted instrumentals (laid down by Keith Huckins, Andrew Gormley, and Thom Rusnack) creates the perfect soundtrack for a bad day/week/year/life. Another highlight of this album: the drumming. What a machine.

Kiss It Goodbye definately comes off as a progression musically and lyrically of where Deadguy were going with Fixation On A Coworker, but they end up creating a hardcore record like no other, and completely blowing their old bands out of the water. There's a very strong Black Flag vibe on this album, and it's obvious that's where the band takes some serious inspiration and influence from (especially Tim Singer, at times it's as if he's been possessed by the Ghost of Black Flag-era Rollins)..and I get the feeling that they also take some mad influence from some of the Touch & Go Records "noise rock" bands (for instance, The Jesus Lizard). But don't let any of my comparisons fool you: this is a completely one of a kind hardcore album.

Download this record, now.

WAS I TALKING TO YOU?

DOWNLOAD

PS: the band also released two other excellent EPs, both are still available for Rev, so I didn't do an upload.
PPS: Kiss It Goodbye further help exemplify something that is very important about hardcore/punk: ANGER.

-xCHADx

Hand me your glove of love..

2010-06-16T10:25:00.000-07:00

-xCHADx

THE BUMS WILL ALWAYS LOSE, LEBOWSKI!

2010-06-15T15:19:00.000-07:00

I am definitely a bum though.

In case anyone actually enjoyed my incoherent ramblings, I've begun posting stuff more focused on the sludge/doom/psych direction over at the excellent Ritual Room blog, which you can also find a link for on the side. Been meaning to upload some raging hardcore here, but time is scarce, and I see Chadillac is picking up the reigns once more. 2010, still on top.

up the punx.

Tongue Tied - Demo 2010

2010-06-15T11:19:00.001-07:00

Tongue Tied are a local Vancouver band fronted by one of my "top doggs" (that's a cool term, right? I bet all the kids are saying that!) Hunter (you can see a photo of this fine gentleman at a younger age two stepping, here. Majestic!). Musically very reminiscent of "2000s" era melodic hardcore, and Reserve 34. Tongue Tied is carrying the torch for that NW melodic hardcore sound that we all know and love around these parts. This is some quality shit. Demo recording is pretty raw, but the songs rule and I can't wait to hear what these dudes will do next.

They are playing this show on Friday, June 18th. You should come.
But seriously, if you're a fan of bands like Reserve 34, Blue Monday, Go It Alone, Verse, Carry On, etc...give this a download. Support Vancouver Hardcore.

DOWNLOAD DEMO

-xCHADx

PS: they now have shirts for sale, you should buy one of them.

Parallax - Mediums And Messages

2010-06-14T23:42:00.000-07:00

Man oh man is this album ever good. I wish I had gotten into this band earlier on. I was initially introduced to this band back in 2006, through an interview Greg Bennick did for Flex Your Head Radio in which he spoke of them, and played a track or two. Should have taken the hint and picked up the album then, but oh well.

No huge write up today. Parallax were a metallic hardcore band from Provo, Utah. Musically kind of sounds like a blending of bands like Shai Hulud (when they were still good), Catharsis, Trial, and Undying. Nine tracks of passionate, emotional, heartfelt, intense metalcore. Seriously, this is really fucking good. At times melodic, at times heavy as hell, and just done completely PERFECT. I wish more bands sounded like this in this particular realm of hardcore. One of my favourite styles of hardcore, but sadly as of late it has become quite stagnant.

Anyways, my write up is especially bad tonight, and doesn't do this album NEARLY enough justice. Give it a download if you're into any of the bands listed above, this record deserves way more recognition then it receives.

PS: track 7, Surgery Without Sutures features Greg Bennick doing spoken word over the music. Not the only reason to check this album out, but a definite bonus! (Greg's write up on this song/the lyrics)

Get into it.

DOWNLOAD
(download not mine today because Mediafire kept crapping out on me)

-xCHADx

Mind Eraser Live Jan 16/2010 (Floorpunch final US show)

2010-06-10T12:38:00.001-07:00

One of the best hardcore bands going right now? Fuck yes. Seriously, this band needs to make a tour up to the NW. And they need to open with the crucial Brotherhood cover they do in this set.

Mind Eraser from KO Films on Vimeo.

-xCHADx

Good Riddance - Operation Phoenix

2010-05-31T10:34:00.000-07:00

Oh yeah, this a punk blog. I seem to have forgotten recently.

It's too bad that this band will forever be lumped in with the rest of the boring/stupid melodic punk bands that Fat Wreck/Epitaph used to put out, since they were miles, miles above that. It's also too bad that kids have to deal with sifting through the bullshit (or just buying it) that Fat Wreck and Epitaph are putting out now, as opposed to growing up on bands like this... but that's another story.

The point is: Good Riddance ruled then, and still rule now. They raged way harder than most, to the point where a good portion of their songs were just basically hardcore/youth crew jams. Consistently solid songwriting, catchy as fuck, lyrics with a great balance between the personal and political and always sincere... This is just some really great punk rock. If you didn't already know, check it out, and if you did, rekindle your love.

"Every interaction tainted with objectification.
Does it make you cool to "put her in her place"?
How would you feel if it was your sister?
You're a poor excuse for a man."

DOWNLOAD

Sorry for the rapidshare, mediafire is fucking with me.

Oh yeah, no "cool-guys" in hardcore.

-XEVANX

Minsk - White Wings

2010-05-26T18:58:00.000-07:00

Fuck it. I'm posting a video. I still can't get over how much this band has consumed me. I've got a few things lined up for when I get around to them, but until then...

-XEVANX

Addaura - 2010 Demo

2010-05-23T14:29:00.000-07:00

I have no idea where I came across this, but it's some pretty solid atmospheric black metal. If you're into Leech and Skagos, or any of the other cascadian/northwest bands popping up these days, you'll probably dig this. Sounds like a bunch of sad punks playing mounrful/melodic black metal influenced by grey skies, green forests, and a lot of rain. I definitely feel a pretty strong connection to this stuff. Something to keep an eye out for. Check it out.

DOWNLOAD

-XEVANX

Paysage D'Hiver - Kerker

2010-05-20T13:25:00.001-07:00

If you're at all into raw, lo-fi black metal, you've probably already heard of Paysage D'Hiver, Wintherr of Darkspace's solo project. And like myself and many others, you're probably completely infatuated with Winterkalte, and the S/T demos. These are without a doubt some of the most stunning examples of lo-fi atmospherics around. Because of how good these releases are, it can be easy to forgot just how good everything else he has done is as well. A few weeks ago I decided to switch up my listening habits slightly, and revisit Kerker, released in 1999 shortly before his two masterpieces... and god damn, what a mind fuck.

Foregoing his usual task of trying to create a harsh winter through sound, Kerker (meaning Dungeon) focuses on a much more haunting, murky sound. Don't get me wrong, this is still harsh and relentless as fuck, complete with all the usual wind samples and eerie synths, but the effect here is somehow much different. When you're able to distinguish the vocals, you'll find they're much lower growls in place of the usual high-pitched shrieks. The music itself feels like it was recorded in some sort of distant cavern, or, well, a dungeon. It is impossible to extract all the different things going on, and what you're left pondering is a really gloomy, droning wall of torturous chaos trapped beneath a layer of filth. I was left clutching my bed-sheets, eyes wide-open as I was journeying through the corridors. Brilliant stuff.

DOWNLOAD

-XEVANX

U.S. Christmas - Eat The Low Dogs

2010-05-19T22:29:00.000-07:00

I'm posting this because I can't fucking find a decent upload of this anywhere without going through approximately 20 broken links, and because I've been meaning to share this with a few friends for quite a while now. So, read on and enjoy...

U.S. Christmas hail from northern Carolina and eastern Tenessee, citing the mountains of their hometown as a big influence on their music, which definitely shows through. I've kind of been mentioning a "mid-western" feeling a lot these days, but it's the only fitting description I can ever come up with. I'm not going to go into too much detail describing what they sound like as I'm not nearly as knowledgeable about this stuff as I'd like to be, but: Imagine Neil Young colliding with Hawkwind on a really dark acid trip into outer-space and that should get you somewhere in the ballpark of what to expect. I'm not going to bother talking about highlights because this is honestly phenomenal the whole way through. A serious rocker that totally fucks with me and has become a regular in my listening habits. Released in 2008 on Neurot Recordings, the CD is still available for purchase. Highly recommended. Check it out.

Being as my totally inadequate review probably hasn't sold you, feel-free to continue on to this one written for scenepointblank which says it better than I ever could.

Paranoia. Indecision.
Black lung, blur your vision...

With a dark sun, I'll be leaving.

DOWNLOAD

-XEVANX

R.I.P.

2010-05-18T20:31:00.000-07:00

Minsk - Out Of A Center Which Is Neither Alive Nor Dead

2010-05-17T11:48:00.000-07:00

I guess it's been quite a while since I last updated this. Life is continually crazy. I'm about 99% sure that I'm existing in another dimension right now. Anyways, I can't even remember the last time that an album has consumed me so completely that it's basically the only thing I can listen to for days at a time, but this sure has. I will now share it with you.

"Empty spaces co-exist with empty faces to experience
the invigoration of going nowhere at the speed of light.
Time’s eye left in the sun to blind."
Minsk formed in Peoria in 2002, and notably feature producer/musician Sanford Parker (Buried At Sea, Twilight, etc.) who I'm now convinced turns almost everything he touches to gold. This is their first full-length, released in 2005 on At A Loss recordings. So, what can you expect? Well, with ties to Buried At Sea, you can rightfully expect a seriously fucking heavy sludge/doom/psych/"post-metal" hybrid with a pounding rhythm section, and lots of really cool textures and layers.

The description I keep coming back to for this album is as follows: Imagine a more psychedelic Through Silver In Blood era Neurosis if they would have had the massive production quality needed to really make that album into the biggest, darkest thing on the planet like they had been trying to. However, it should be noted that this isn't another amateur copycat band that just decided to rip-off Neurosis, that's just how fucking good these songs are. It's super creative.

The drums ebb and flow brilliantly throughout it's entirety with that almost-tribal feeling, forcing you to (at the very least) continually nod your head to the rhythm. The bass is huge, and keeps a very satisfying, rumbling low end. Endless great riffs build between quieter, psychedelic passages and total crushing devastation. Spaced out snyths, and other electronics add a lot of really great textures as well, really making this a total mind-fuck. There's even saxophones on the last track, and they totally work??? The vocals are really gruff and gnarly, but actually hold a lot of great melody. Lyrics seem to deal with depression, mental illness, struggle, and more spiritual subjects as well. Honestly, every performance on this record is just jaw-dropping and it really resonates with me.

In the end, if you're a fan of Neurosis, or just forward-thinking sludge/doom/psychedelic music of any kind, you probably owe it to yourself to download this. Don't make the same mistake I did, ignoring this for a few years for no real reason, and then having your mind blown. I'll be continuing to jam this hard. My favorite tracks are Narcotics And Dissecting Knives, and Wisp Of Tow.

"Can I dance if I have no soul?
If I go under will you find me cold?
And if I travel to distant lands,
would you walk beside me and hold my hand?"

DOWNLOAD

-XEVANX

Ananda - Profane

2010-05-16T15:55:00.000-07:00

BLOG OR DIE.

Ananda hailed from France (and shared members of the great French hardcore band Finger Print, as well as Undone and Ivich) and existed from 1994 to 2001. On their first release (Habeas Corpus), they were playing hardcore more on the Emo tip that was popular in France at the time. That album is pretty good, but fuuuuck did this band ever get better with time. On their second release, an MCD called "5", they began to shift more towards the heavy, metallic hardcore sound that is perfectly displayed on Profane. They were also featured on a three way live split 10" with Botch and Knut. This all leads us to their final release, and my favourite thing that Ananda did.. Profane. Ten tracks of absolutely vicious, crushing, HEAVY metallic hardcore. I remember when I stumbled across this record a few years back and just being completely floored upon first listen. I feel like this band/album is really overlooked, at least with people I've talked to about it. If you're into bands like Unruh, Acme, Rorschach, Kickback,
Systral and His Hero Is Gone.. download this album pronto.

Apologies for the mediocre write up, once again I don't do an album the appropriate amount of justice that it deserves. Give it a listen on your own, it's worth it.

I'm gonna do an upload of the Habeas Corpus LP and 5 MCD soon so people can get a taste of what Ananda were doing prior to this album.

DOWNLOAD

-xCHADx

PS: not my own Mediafire upload right now as I'm not at home.

Guess what?

2010-05-13T14:05:00.001-07:00

We've been slacking again. To anyone who actually reads the blog, sorry! I'm gonna start doing more uploads again soon.

-xCHADx

Die 116 - Damage Control and Dynacool

2010-04-27T20:36:00.001-07:00

ANOTHER UPLOAD TODAY, WHY THE FUCK NOT?

VERY SERIOUS QUESTIONS: Do you like Rorschach? Do you like Burn? Do you like rocking? Are you down with that 90s groove? If yes (which SHOULD be your answer to all of the previously stated questions...), then you will TOTALLY be down with Die 116.

Gavin Von Vlack (Burn/Absolution/Side By Side) and Andrew Gormley (Rorschach/Kiss It Goodbye/Shai Hulud/Playing Enemy) started this band after the demise of Burn and Rorschach. Musically, I find this band kind of hard to nail down to one thing. Die 116 definitely had a sound of their own. Way better then a ton of other bands I've heard labeled as "post-hardcore", and no one really seems to give a fuck! I'm not gonna bother trying to compare this to stuff, I will fail pretty badly. If you like the two homeboys other musical endeavors // if you're a fan of bands like Quicksand, Helmet, Shellac, Orange 9mm or The Jesus Lizard....you'll definitely be into these two records. Noisy, groovy, heavy, rocking "post hardcore", played by two of the most talented people from the 90s hardcore scene.

Nerd tidbit: I noticed that the opening riff to Vacio (off of Dyna Cool) is totally the same as the opening riff in Last Great Sea by Burn. Kind of funny.

ROCK HARD! FEEL THAT GROOVE!

DOWNLOAD BOTH RECORDS

-xCHADx

Breakwater/Closure - Split 7"

2010-04-27T19:56:00.000-07:00

Since I uploaded the Republic Of Freedom Fighters LP the other day, I felt it would be fitting to follow that up with another crucial (and brutally underrated) Victoria hardcore band that actually happened to share some of the same members, Breakwater. Plus, Hoopy uploaded the Closure LP..so if you were into that record, get stoked on this one!
No huge write up today, not really in the mood. Lets just say: two VERY crucial, and VERY underrated hardcore bands from the 90s. Poor Closure though, their songs definately get destroyed by the Breakwater track on this split (not to say they aren't good, because they are..but a.) that Breakwater song is just such a JAM//impossible to compete with and b.) I think these are weaker Closure songs in comparison to that LP). Seriously though, Breakwater. Fuck. I don't even really know what to say tonight, other then..they were really fucking good. If you like Portraits Of Past, ROFF (as previously blogged), Policy Of 3, Funeral Diner, Envy, Indian Summer, yadda yadda yadda..you will surely love this band. Seeking out the rest of their small discography is VERY worth it. Maybe I'll up that eventually too?!?! Many apologies for the weak write up and comparisons tonight, I don't know where the fuck my head is at!

If you like 90s emo (read: hardcore), don't sleep on this shit. ACT LIKE YA KNOW!

To the person who pawned this shit off at Audiopile: your loss, my win. Thanks!

Upload done by Russdogg (aka THE MAN). WORD IS BOND.

DOWNLOAD

-xCHADx

Mindset - Be The Spark Live June 19, 2009

2010-04-22T13:49:00.000-07:00

I'm on lunch at work, but I thought I'd do a quick video post of, in my opinion, one of the best hardcore bands going right now.

Seriously, Mindset rip. Positive (but not in an annoying, naive "I AM POSITIVE EVERY DAY" newjack kind of way), political, raging youth crew style hardcore. If you're into classic youth crew bands, or various 90s youth crew revival bands..don't sleep on this shit (I did for awhile, and I'm still kicking myself for it)..they're one of the best bands doing it right now. You can still get the R E A L P O W E R and Time & Pressure 7"s from React's webstore. Do it. http://www.itstimetoreact.com/

PS: lets give credit where credit is due, another excellent video filmed by hate5six.

-xCHADx

Andersen - comp 7", updated posts, general updates...

2010-04-20T15:12:00.000-07:00

Adding to my Zorn megapost, heres the Anderesen comp 7" that I finally got ahold of. Thanks to Florian for the e-mail and the upload. Kimusawea start the comp off, combining 90's emo/hardcore, with some early Neurosis. I'm still not entirely sure of how I feel about them, but it's definitely worth a listen. Next up we have Ambush, expect 90's hardcore that delivers. The Zorn track here is actually nothing special in comparison to their other material, but from a completest perspective it's cool. The comp ends with a band called Hitler, which must be some sort of ironic joke as they play twangy bluegrass or something, and not the good kind. (If not a joke, well... I don't know.) Again, thanks to Florian for the upload.

I've also made some corrections to my Knokkelklang post, so check that out if you haven't yet. Thanks to E. for the proper information. Hopefully I'll be able to get a proper rip of this up sometime too.

In other news, I guess I haven't updated this in a while... My mind is focusing on a few other endeavors and a lot is going on. Expect another mixtape sometime soon, and then probably some more silence. I'll get back to it eventually. Until then, enjoy...

DOWNLOAD

-XEVANX

Republic Of Freedom Fighters - S/T

2010-04-18T23:46:00.001-07:00

Just a quick write up today as I'm currently loading my Ipod up with music (thanks to the world famous author and AMAZING friend Colin Sinclair for hooking me up with the Ipod when mine decided to finally shit the bed. Truly the man.) and needed a five minute break.

Republic Of Freedom Fighters were from Victoria, BC, and played some excellent hardcore, kind of similar to bands like Portraits Of Past, Indian Summer, and Breakwater (another excellent Victoria, BC band from the same time period). 90s "Emo" done right. Ahhhh 1996...a time before people used the term "Skram", and it was okay to call an array of different styles of hardcore bands...hardcore bands. WHAT A CONCEPT!

DOWNLOAD

-xCHADx

PS: I started writing a huge fucking rant about why the term "skram" is an illegitimate and pointless term for describing hardcore bands, but I have decided that I'll spare you that nerdy shit tonight. The three people (loose estimate) who probably frequent this blog most likely agree with me, so I'll save it for now. But seriously in the words of my main man and Notorious Fraudster Evan "Hoopdogg" Hooper, "What the fuck?"

END YOUR LIFE

2010-04-07T19:49:00.000-07:00

-xCHADx

Warhorse - As Heaven Turns To Ash

2010-04-06T16:46:00.000-07:00

After having had a bit of a chance to digest this record, I now share it with you. I was lead to it through relation to my previous post, and while not exactly what I was looking for, it does come close in weight.

A few things:
1. They're called WARHORSE. This is awesome.
2. It's called AS HEAVEN TURNS TO ASH. This is awesome.
3. It's seriously fucking heavy.

Honestly, if you're a fan of doom metal, or just enjoy heavy riffs in general, you'd have to be a GRADE A moron not to download this. On a blog dedicated to various forms of heavy music, i don't really think I need to say much more. Why Southern Lord dorks aren't still hyping the shit out of this is beyond me. SERIOUSLY FUCKING HEAVY.

DOWNLOAD

-XEVANX

Counts of Arson CHALLENGE #1!

2010-04-06T16:39:00.000-07:00

After thinking about it for quite a while, and then having my opinion confirmed by some friends, I still don't want to give up. Give up on what, you ask? Give up on finding the most devastating, punishingly heavy album out there... that is heavier than BURIED AT SEA'S MIGRATION.

I'm talking sheer sonic weight, absolutely fucking miserable, monolithic, bigger than a tectonic plate, no-fun, just devastating shit. And it has to sell me from the first fucking note, like Buried At Sea does.

To the best of my knowledge, it is fact that nothing is heavier.
Please, prove me wrong. I await your replies.

DOWNLOAD

-XEVANX

Floor - S/T

2010-03-29T19:15:00.000-07:00

After staring at a relentless downpour turned into a hailstorm and back again, complete with thunder and wind all day, I need a bit of a pick-me-up, so here we go...

Ex-members of the beast that is CAVITY, current members of Torche, blahblahlbah... You pretty much either know or you don't. Insanely catchy riffs, clean vocals, HEAVY AS FUCK sludge, all chanelled into 2-3 minute pop songs. It's brilliant. Figure it out for yourself.

DOWNLOAD

-XEVANX

Black Cilice

2010-03-24T20:25:00.000-07:00

I know absolutely nothing about this project besides the fact that it's from Portugal, and has released a bunch of annoyingly limited tapes over the last year. And that it's really fucking good.

I'm going to have to use terms from my last post like hypnotic, noisy, consuming... but this is much more focused on the noise aspect, while still retaining a sense of melody and structure. I can't explain what it is about Black Cilice, but they really grabbed me and haven't let go. It's sort of like if WOLD wanted to sound more depressing maybe? Fucked and haunting black noise.

I just thought I'd post this here for those who might enjoy it, but don't spend their hours sifting through black metal blogs discarding 10 awful releases per every gem. Give it a shot. I believe very strongly.

Download: DEMO 1
Download: UNDER SATANIC PHILOSOPHY

-XEVANX

Wrath of the Weak - Alogon

2010-03-24T19:52:00.000-07:00

Wrath of the Weak is a project from Buffalo, NY, and it is immense. I can't really say it better than the label, here: "Waves of layered distorted guitars that emit unrelenting ambiance through feedback and surreal overtones filtered through an open vast sound picture, through unforgiving repetition and vicious melody to embody a vision of uncompromising hypnosis."

I'm going to use Velvet Cocoon as a reference point, and then say that this is more worthy of the hype. While I think that Geneviève is a pretty worthwhile album, Wrath of the Weak take a similar approach and make it bigger, noisier, and more mind-consuming (Gimmicks and Southern Lord dorks can suck it). Repetition just short of monotony, and really depressive noisy riffs are the name of the game here. I also really enjoy how the artwork and song titles are fairly atypical of this stuff.

In short, this album fucks with me. Let it fuck with you.

Chapter I: A Leap of Faith Ends When You Crash Into The Ground
Chapter II: Using Self-Destruction In The Pursuit of A Better Life
Chapter III: What We Learn From Spending 120 Hours In A Downpour
Chapter IV: When One Side of The Mirror Diverges From The Other
Chapter V: Angels With Forked Tongues And The Gifts They Bear
Chapter VI: Light Streaming In Through The Cracks In The Door
Epilogue - The Journey Towards Non-Existence In Slow Motion And Technicolor

DOWNLOAD

- XEVANX

Newborn - In These Desperate Days...

2010-03-23T21:25:00.000-07:00

HOLY FUCK AN UPLOAD FROM MY LAZY SELF! I had/have a mixtape all lined up...but Mediafire keeps screwing up from my internet connection on this computer, and it keeps on frustrating me so for the meantime I'm gonna post this upload.

Newborn hailed from Budapest, Hungary and played some ripping metallic hardcore. Musically this band reminds me a lot of Shai Hulud, and Undying. They have a rather apparent Swedish melodic Death Metal influence..but unlike 90% of the bands from the late 90s/2000s that claimed to be influenced by that stuff, this band actually holds my interest for an entire record, and are pretty fucking punk. Five tracks of political hardcore that is melodic, heavy, and full of European metalcore riffery. WOO!

A BRIEF DISCLAIMER: there are a couple "sung" parts on this record that kind of come out of nowhere, don't really make much sense, and definately make me feel a little uncomfortable..but they are minor and don't ruin the record for me.

But yeah, not a long description today. I think what I've written gives you an idea of what you're getting yourself into. If you like what you hear, be sure to also check out their split with Catharsis.

Fucking Euros!

PS: download link stolen from another blog. I'm sorry!

DOWNLOAD

-xCHADx

Dangers - S/T 7"

2010-03-20T10:21:00.000-07:00

As soon as I really got into punk and hardcore, that was it. There was nothing else. That's still the case for me now and I can't imagine not ever feeling that way. Over the last few years though I've lost a lot of faith and I've consistently been feeling more and more disconnected from "hardcore" on a larger scale. The amount of shit that people buy into that doesn't have one single fucking thing to do with what this music and so-called "community" are supposed to be about is really disheartening. I've never really gotten that feeling of being a part of a like-minded community besides a few moments with my close friends, and more often than not I feel almost completely alone in those small, crowded rooms. I lost the naive thought that this music would actually accomplish any change on a larger scale a long time ago.

Does that mean that I've given up on it completely? Not at all. With less and less to believe in every day it seems, it just means that war needs to be waged even harder against all the bullshit. With frustration and anger can come conviction, and it feels like that's a good portion of what keeps me going most of the time. And with so much shit to see through, I end up believing in the bands that I feel I can that much more. By this point you're probably wondering what this has to do with anything, so...

Dangers are the kind of band you can still believe in. Even though I don't listen to them as much as I used to, they're still continually inspiring and always say a lot of things that hit really close to home. I'm really thankful that they rolled through again last night and always give it their all. This is one of the records that changed my life and made me fall in love with hardcore. I share it with you now hoping that if someone out there is just getting into hardcore and finds this, that it will have the same effect. Don't stop believing.

DOWNLOAD

-XEVANX

Counts of Arson EXCLUSIVE FEATURE #1

2010-03-16T18:33:00.000-07:00

I wasn't kidding when I said our exclusive features won't be very exciting. They're not very exclusive, and not much of a feature at all... Basically what we'll be doing is uploading the occasional digital mixtape to try and switch things up a bit, keep it interesting, and maybe post some music that otherwise wouldn't really fit in with the theme of our blog. So, I hope you got excited for something cool and are really let down! I'm good at having that effect. Anyways, take a gamble and maybe you'll find a track or two to get down with.

The following songs are good for, and have been used to:
- Get into your "sensitive side"
- Spoon with members of the same sex
- Talk about your feelings with members of the same sex
- Stare at the rain for lack of anything better to do
- Lay in bed all day
- Be a wiener

You've got it, over 90 minutes of wiener jams! Most of these songs bring back certain memories for me, or are just consistently good to bum around to. Some examples: Shook Ones covering "Seven" in 2006, driving around Langley to xG13x practice and having 4 dudes bum out awkwardly to Sleater-Kinney, being "too punk" for The Smiths the first time I heard them and later having it turn into a "soundtrack to life" sort of thing, ... I could go on and on. Anyways, hopefully you'll enjoy at least a song or two if you give it a chance.
Feedback is also welcome and encouraged.

Side A:
1. Seven - Sunny Day Real Estate
2. Good Things - Sleater-Kinney
3. Just Be Simple - Songs:Ohia
4. Montana - Rocky Votolato
5. The Boat - Chuck Ragan
6. Empty Road - Matthew Good
7. In The Arms of Sleep - Smashing Pumpkins
8. Figures - Scott Kelly
9. Dancing Song - Three Shades of Dirty
10. Left And Leaving - The Weakerthans
11. Ceremony - New Order
12. Disintegration - The Cure

Side B:
1. The Slowest Drink... - The Lawrence Arms
2. Jack of All Trades - Hot Water Music
3. My Own Disaster - Small Brown Bike
4. Bringer of Greater Things - Propagandhi
5. The Days Refrain - Texas Is The Reason
6. Jet Black - Jawbreaker
7. Springtime - Leatherface
8. March Into Flames - Finest Dearest
9. Running Back - Thin Lizzy
10. Waltz #2 - Elliot Smith
11. A Man Needs A Maid/Heart of Gold suite (live) - Neil Young
12. I Know It's Over - The Smiths

SIDE A: DOWNLOAD

SIDE B: DOWNLOAD

-XEVANX

The top 10 sludge/post-metal/whatever records of the 2000's according to HOOPDOGG.

2010-03-12T14:31:00.000-08:00

The legitimacy of the term "post-metal" is something I think about from time to time, usually when I'm jamming stuff that tends to fall into that category. In some regards it makes sense, having more of a contrast between clean and quieter passages that build up into the balls-heavy sludge we all know and love than say, a more traditional sludge band like Crowbar or Grief. Personally, I feel like the term "post-metal" just sounds kind of stupid and could be used to describe a lot of different metal outside of the sludge genre as well. But silly or not, it exists, and there is a distinction in the music to be made.

As I as walking around in the rain today, I was thinking about some of the stand-outs of this genre that seemingly exploded around the popularity of Isis and Pelican. Here is the top 10 list I devised. I deem the first 5 records as essential and genre defining, and the second 5 as more than worthy examples that have their own unique voice as well. Check them out if you haven't already.

1. The Eye of Every Storm - Neurosis (2004)
2. Panopticon - Isis (2004)
3. Somewhere Along The Highway - Cult of Luna (2006)
4. The Galilean Satellites - Rosetta (2005)
5. Christmas - Old Man Gloom (2004)
6. The Ties That Blind - Mouth of the Architect (2006)
7. The Whitest of Elephants - Examination Of The... (2003)
8. Haunted By Rivers - Drain The Sky (2008)
9. The Clearing - Disappearer (2009)
10. Song - Giant (2006)

In some ways, I feel like a lot of this stuff has already peaked creatively (2004-2006), and things definitely became a little saturated. But being as a lot of this stuff falls into my favorite music, I can only hope that the genre continues to evolve and that interesting music continues to be created through it. With bands like Neurosis who never waver in their conviction, I'm sure it will.

-XEVANX

Danzig - Sistinas + new EXCLUSIVE FEATURES

2010-03-07T10:46:00.000-08:00

Pardon my slight silence again. My computer is off getting repaired and life has actually been getting busy/stoke-worthy. When things get rolling again I will begin posting a new EXCLUSIVE FEATURE for Counts of Arson, and I can assure you it will (not really) be worth it. I will not reveal any more, and let the (lack of) anticipation grow.

Until then, I will leave you with a piece of cinematic brilliance, as well as one of the greatest songs ever written! If this doesn't move you in some way, you are probably dead. It brings a tear to my eye and tugs at my heart strings every time! This is truly the finest hour of Danzig! (If I keep saying this enough, I might actually start to believe it.)

-XEVANX

Tombs - S/T 12" and split with Planks

2010-03-02T10:56:00.000-08:00

In keeping with the theme of my last post, heres the new-ish project from the other 1/3rd of Anodyne, Mike Hill. I've upped their pre-Relapse material for your listening pleasure.

I don't even want to try and describe the S/T 12" here. As a reference point, I guess theres elements of sludge, shoegaze, and hardcore all thrown into a blender. And I feel really, really strongly about it. Particularly the first half. I'm at a loss for words right now... It's pretty dark stuff, but the only way I can think to describe it is "full of life." The last minute of "Course of Empire" destroys me, and you should probably hear it. Re-occurring lyrical themes such as lifes' violence, death, and our last days bring it all together.

On the split with Planks, Tombs started playing an interesting blend of their sludgy hardcore meets black metal, which is quite unique, but I'd rather just listen to black metal... Many will disagree though. Planks are from Germany and play crusty metallic hardcore. For once, I'm not crazy about a German band, but there are some good moments in their songs and they might be a band to watch out for.

DOWNLOAD

DOWNLOAD

-XEVANX

Defeatist - Sharp Blade Sinks Deep Into Dull Minds

2010-02-28T14:47:00.000-08:00

Defeatist are a ripping grindcore band featuring 2/3 of the members of Anodyne. I was actually planning on uploading a couple of their 7"s until I realized that they hooked up with Willowtip and compiled them already. There just too many things going on to keep track of everything at once. Anyways, here is the split with Kursk, the Thanatonic State 7", and the In Praise of False Hopes 7" all in one conveniant place. The drums are really the driving force here. If you're in the mood for a raw, relentless, no-bullshit grind assault this should probably satisfy.

DOWNLOAD

-XEVANX

Sacrifice - Forward To Termination

2010-02-24T19:48:00.000-08:00

"TERMINAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATE"

I don't have a lot to say about thrash metal, and I've only really recognized it as something I can appreciate over the last couple years. However, there are a few things I've learned as truth through this. I will now share those with you.

1. If you're too cool for Slayer, you're probably just an asshole.
2. Ride The Lightning is indeed a masterpiece.
3. Sacrifice thrashed really, really hard.

I dubbed the summer of 2008 as the Summer of Sacrifice. I still had my disgusting Sir Lancelot locks, and listened to this record way, way more than I probably should have. But, it made me really happy and still gets me stoked.

Hailing from Toronto, Canada, Sacrifice were truly kings of the riff. Seriously. This album has endless great riffs. Riff after riff after riff will leave you headbanging for it's entirety. The musicianship and song-writing is all top-notch. I have nothing bad to say. A serious gem of balls-out, aggressive and vicious as fuck thrash mayhem! This was released in '87 and stands the test of time.

"Synthetically revived to regain control,
The spirit world sends back my soul!"

DOWNLOAD

-XEVANX

OBLIGATORY VIDEO POST IN HONOUR OF THE MIGHTY RIFF... PT. 3

2010-02-23T21:00:00.000-08:00

aka Chad is too lazy to do a proper update right this second. No More Dreams Of Happy Endings is (in my opinion) one of the greatest hardcore records of all time. I know I've posted a video of there's on here already, but fuck it I'm posting another one. I wish I could have seen this band in the 90s. Next level shit. One of the best.

Mosh hard, feel the riff, and hate your life.

-xCHADx

Zeroid - S/T LP (2004)

2010-02-23T16:20:00.001-08:00

Zeroid mean fucking business. Get ready for some absolutely devastating dark hardcore. Or, in true Euro fashion, "Mistuned depricore, and fucked up suicide rock." I jest, I jest (mostly).

Take the eastern Canadian sound of the mid-90's that you (should) all know and love (OEGP, Drift, Uranus), down-tune it, add some chunkier metallic riffs into the mix, and you're most of the way there. I don't know whats in the water over there, but the Germans nail this shit almost every time. And that's just fine with me, as this sound falls into my favorite style of hardcore and I can never get enough. I don't really know what else to say. Dark, apocalyptic, personal... this is the real deal. For what it's worth, the band featured members of Jeniger and Akephal, and this record was produced by Dirk Kusche who worked with Acme, Systral, Assuck... I really shouldn't have to say anything else. Fans of Uranus and His Hero Is Gone should not ignore this.

DOWNLOAD

-XEVANX

Ekkaia - Sombras Del Progreso Discography

2010-02-22T22:00:00.000-08:00

Ekkaia were a melodic crust band from A Coruña, Spain, who formed in 1999. Forming from the ashes of a bunch other bands which I haven't heard, they seemed to be a pretty important cornerstone in the scene. Their sound is definitely comparable to the Remains of the Day/Tragedy schtick which kind of exploded and I guess isn't cool anymore, but fuck it. I love that sound and can find no reason to complain when it's done well.

This album compiles their two full length records, Manos que estrechan planes de muerte y sometimiento (Hands That Shake Plan Death and Subjugation) and Demasiado Tarde Para Pedir Perdon (Extremely Late For Being Sorry), released in 2002 and 2004 respectively, separated by an EP between them. The last LP was released by Stonehenge and Alerta Antifascista.

I'm actually a bit more partial to the first LP which feels a little closer to Remains of the Day, having a bit more variation and a bit more influence from some of the early 2000's emotive hardcore that was going on in Europe. The later stuff is a bit more Tragedy influenced, without coming off as a clone and still really good. The band has a definite urgency and sincerity to their sound which helps carry things whenever it may feel like they're slightly lacking in originality.

Fans of dark, melodic hardcore with a bit of a metallic edge should give this a shot. I believe.

Fucking euros.

DOWNLOAD

-XEVANX

Manilla Road - Crystal Logic

2010-02-21T11:43:00.000-08:00

My friends often jest about how I'm a "fun-hater". While I do listen to a vastly larger amount of music drenched in misery than I do anything that could be labeled "fun", I STILL LIKE FUN. And this record is really fun. I used to annoy the fuck out of my roommates whenever I played this. Maybe they're the fun haters.

"I will never put my sword down!
I will never run away!!!"

What to expect: a gem of pioneering epic heavy metal, insanely catchy riffs, high-pitched nasally vocals that are totally enjoyable, great leads, fantasy-themed lyrics about good destroying evil, FUN...

"We never ever will die 'cause Heavy Metal is life
And not eternal hell !!"

This stuff is definitely not my forté, but sometimes you come across records that are just too good to ignore. This is definitely one of those records. It's a stone cold classic. Just really catchy heavy metal and I highly urge you to listen to it. At the very least, listen to Necropolis and if you're still not sold, I don't know what to tell you.

I could go into further detail about what this sounds like, but "expanding explanation destroys magic!!!", and there is PLENTY of magic on this record. Believe.

"Before the Gods of Hell sentence you to die
Remember well my friend a warlord never cries !"

DOWNLOAD

-XEVANX

Neil Young w/ Bruce Springsteen - All Along The Watchtower (Bob Dylan)

2010-02-16T12:24:00.000-08:00

Indisputable fact: This is one of the greatest songs ever written.
Indisputable fact: Neil Young shreds and rocks out harder than pretty much everyone.

- XEVANX

Horna - Ääniä Yössä

2010-02-15T16:22:00.000-08:00

This is a concept album based on the Yersinia Pestis curse that triumphed over Europe mainly during the 14th century. It was written by vocalist Corvus and guitarist Shatraug alone in attempt to properly contain their vision. I love concept albums, and I think that they really managed to capture the atmosphere on this one.

So, what does a concept album about the black plague sound like? Well, the black plague. Imagine you're being dragged through the streets of an early European city. It's raining, everything is muddy, peoples faces are rotting away as they're screaming out in agony and being consumed by the plague, rats are taking control of the streets... That's what this sounds like.

The first three tracks are all fairly mid-paced. The guitars churn out dark, filthy and dirge-like riffs that plod along and occaisionally tap into a little bit more melody that really shines through and I think that it's riffs like these that make all the best black metal worthwhile. The guitars actually have a bit of a crunch to them instead of being ultra-thin and that really adds to the dirty feel of the record.

After you start wondering if they're going to switch up the formula at all, you get treated to the 21 minute title track, and I assure you, this album is worth it for this song alone. This beast relys on a constant blastbeat and a melody that gets repeated to infinity but it's just so consuming and hypnotic that you hardly notice. My mind was destroyed after I heard it.

If you're ever in the mood for some really ugly Finnish black metal that captures the feelings of filth and despair, this is probably where you want to be. As far as my taste goes, this is the best Horna record that I've heard and I can't reccomend it enough.

DOWNLOAD

Let the voices in the night embrace...

- XEVANX

OBLIGATORY VIDEO POST IN HONOUR OF THE MIGHTY RIFF... PT. 2

2010-02-14T19:22:00.000-08:00

-xCHADx

ALL AGES HARDCORE VANCOUVER, BC

2010-02-13T14:40:00.001-08:00

Corrupted - Vasana + An Island Insane 7" EP's

2010-02-10T20:29:00.000-08:00

This is my second post about Corrupted on this blog. I foresee more. Anyways, the subject on hand... These are two of my favorite releases in all that is slow and heavy.

After having my mind completely bended by seeing them live, it was essential for me to delve deep into Corrupted's discography and find where the magic was coming from. I have the utmost respect for the bands never-wavering conviction to their art and imagery over the last 15 years, but I must say, they really honed their sound over their last few releases. While 2005's El Mundo Frio proved again that Corrupted can paint on a really, really big canvas, these releases prove that they can be just as (maybe even more?) effective on a small one as well.

This pair of 7"s was released in March of 2007. Vasana is definitely the more brutal of the bunch, with two absolutely pummeling, crushing, (insert other doom cliches here) tracks of atmospheric sludge. I can't use the word "CRUSHING" enough when describing these. An Island Insane feels a little more spaced out, with the second track consisting of some quiet notes buried under a bunch of distortion. My descriptions are inadequate, just listen to it for yourself. Both 7"s completely consume me, and leave me feeling fucked and empty.

DOWNLOAD

- XEVANX

Giant - Song

2010-02-09T22:32:00.000-08:00

DARE YOU CLIMB MOUNT RIFFMORE?

Two uploads in one night. I'm on top of my game.

I'm always terrible when it comes to trying to describe bands in this style. I guess some people refer to this stuff as "post metal"? I don't feel that it's necessary to use the term, but hey do whatever the hell you want. I'll just keep saying sludge. For fans of bands like Isis, Neurosis, Buried At Sea, Cult of Luna, etc etc. Yes, Giant (who changed their name in 2008 and now go by the moniker Braveyoung) do sound reminiscent of Isis.. but don't be fooled, these guys aren't merely one of the many Isis-clone bands out there who write mediocre, second rate Isis songs. They manage to take this style of metal, but do something that many of other bands who attempt it fail to do....create interesting, memorable music. "Song" contains 52 minutes of dark, ominous, atmospheric, heavy sludge. I jock this shit hard, and don't think they get nearly enough credit for what they do. I can safely say that this is one of my favourite sludge/doom records.This is one of those records that I find I enjoy the most when I am just alone, laying in bed, zoning out..or on long drives when the car is quiet. It's the kind of record that hits you way harder when you have the time to give it a listen with your complete, undivided attention.

Anyways, my mediocre description doesn't do it enough justice. Download it and jam it yourself. Feel the power of the riff.
PS: this came out in like 2006 on Southern Empire, but it seems to be unavailable for purchase on their site (I tried the paypal link and it was dead), so I deemed it as out of print. If for whatever reason it IS still available, then just drop me a message on here and I will remove the link.
PPS: if you enjoy what you hear, go and pick up their two releases after this. A split 12" with Tides (another great band that plays metal similar to Giant) and their first release under the name Braveyoung, Bloom.

DOWNLOAD

-xCHADx

Another Victim - Apocalypse Now 12"

2010-02-09T21:51:00.000-08:00

"Liberation is gained when roles are not maintained. Forced assimilation since birth, perpetuation, degradation of worth."

Woah! Another upload by yours truly! Finally I stopped being a lazy asshole/snacking/WoWing/listening to records for long enough to post something. Also, Evan texted me enough times about it today that I finally got on it. Hahaha.

Another Victim are another band from the mighty Syracuse Vegan Straight Edge scene of the 90s, and easily one of the best alongside Earth Crisis. Now obviously this band is much loved by people who are into them...but I still feel like they are largely under-appreciated by hardcore kids/fellow fans of 90s Vegan Edge bands. This EP is waaaaaaaay better then a lot of other bands in this style, both lyrically and musically. Free In Constraint is one of the hardest songs about patriarchy//womens rights I have heard (and would surely make any weenie who thinks that hardcore is full of nothing but "bros" and "jocks" think twice). This band is just so appealing to me because they played catchy, heavy metallic hardcore...but still sang about something more then the typical "hard" band.
Another bonus to this perfect 12" that will surely sell you? Bongos. I know what you're thinking, "Chad, shut the fuck up." No but seriously, bongos. There are bongos that come in during select parts of songs on this record. I'm not quite sure why...but I am in full support, and fully think they work well with the record. Maybe they wanted to diversify their audience, and thought that the enchanting sounds of the bongo drum would lure in some long haired free spirits into their shows? Who knows. Who cares? In the words of my friend Danny...."BONGOS DUDE!!!!!!!!!"

Lyrical quality and bongo content aside, another reason why you should get into this band is plain and simple...THEY WROTE SOME HARD FUCKING SONGS WITH PERFECT AMOUNTS OF MOSH. Seriously. This record is in the top ten on my picks of choice bedroom mosh jams.

Members went onto play in The Promise, Unholy, and Santa Sangre.

Get wise.

DOWNLOAD
Buy the CD from Equal Vision (apparently still available, but whatever..this shit is largely ignored by people so I'm sure an upload doesn't matter)

-xCHADx

Nadja - Thaumogenesis

2010-02-04T20:59:00.001-08:00

I've been on a pretty big Nadja kick lately. Particularly this record. I don't really have the interest or energy in keeping up with the obscene amount of material that this duo puts out, but I'm going to go out on an uneducated limb and say that this is the best thing they've done. Out of what I've heard from them, anyways. This came out in 2007, which in the world of Nadja is something like 30 releases ago. I guess people are calling this stuff "dronegaze," to give you a quick idea of what it sounds like. I hate using bullshit genres like this, but for lack of a better term I will roll with it just this once.

Anyways, what we have here is a single 61 minute beast of fuzzed out bliss. I mean it, this is absolutely gorgeous. There are a ton of layers on this thing. Some really nice spaced out synths, a thick as fuck low-end, really fuzzed out guitars... Most of the focus here is on that spacey, fuzzed out texture and they really nailed it. After a quiet first 5 minutes the heaviness sets in and things just kind of drone and plod along from there. The closest thing to big riffage comes in around the 35 minute mark, and after that things quiet down a bit more. It doesn't even feel like it's an hour long either. I actually didn't even notice that there aren't any vocals the first few times I listened to it. I can't speak highly enough about it.

This is an interesting record for me, because on one hand, when I really want to put myself into it, I am completely gone and will exist on another plane of reality for it's entirety. I can't stress how moving and hypnotic it is. Theres a wide array of emotions that I've felt too, anywhere from sorrow to blissful joy. I can get completely lost in it. And on the other hand, this one of the few records that I can put on quietly and actually have it work as background noise when I'm trying to read and not be forced to pay too much attention to it. Infinitely rewarding if you put in the effort, practical when you don't. Win either way! I urge anyone with a bit of patience to download this.

DOWNLOAD

(stolen link for now, mediafire hates me.)

- XEVANX

Knokkelklang - Kalke & Aske demo

2010-02-04T17:51:00.001-08:00

Here we have a slab of some pretty incredible depressive black metal. Knokkelklang is a one man project from Norway, which doesn't translate directly to English. A translation that captures most meaning of the name would be "rattling of bones" or something like that. First off, we're treated to a quick, sparse intro with a few notes (on the piano?) being softly played with some tortured wails in the background. Once the 20 minute second track kicks in things really begin to get mind blowing.

Don't let cliches about the genre and the length of the song scare you off. People can complain about repetition being boring and monotonous in black metal all they want, and if it's not really you're thing, fine, but when you come across pieces like this I can't help but feel like they haven't fully grasped the concept. I mean, sure there's tons of boring, repetitive garbage out there that just jams on a few riffs for way too long due to a lack of any other ideas, but I don't think that should completely discredit the method. Anyways, back to the song...

Part II of Kalke & Aske can essentially be divided into two distinct sections. The first 12 minutes are quite beautiful, and just really, really sad. You will be pulled into a world of despondancy, sorrow, and nostalgia. The pace is quite slow, and the distant sounding, cavernous production will consume and hypnotize you. The theme of the riff remains constant, but there are subtle changes and layers added that keep things moving as the song trudges along. The man behind this could have easily just jammed this out for another fifteen minutes, but then you remember that the second half of the song gets even better. This is when the pace speeds up a bit, and things begin to sound more aggressive and desperate as opposed to total tragedy. It remains this way until the songs conclusion, but again the power and desperation continues to increase as you get pulled along in a trance.

There is also a final ten minute outro piece of sorts that isn't properly ripped for some reason. This is quite eerie and ends with what I hear as mechanical noises of some sort. Really haunting. I'll try and upload a proper rip of this soon.

I really just can't reccomend this enough. If you enjoy raw, atmospheric, trance-inducing, minimalist, achingly beautiful and tragic music you must hear this. I feel kind of silly writing so much about a three song demo, but I feel very strongly about this, so suck it. I can only hope that this guy keeps going with it.

Thanks to E. for the corrections.

The proper tracklist is as follows:
Innhentet (03:12)
Ned I Den Tørstende Jorden (19:53)
Livsverk (10:42)

DOWNLOAD

-XEVANX

Swarm of the Lotus - The Sirens of Silence

2010-02-03T21:51:00.000-08:00

Not a lot to say about this one. Used to be a staple in my listening rotations, and whenever I get around to remembering it I get pretty stoked. Coalesce if they wanted to play sludgier? What I wish Mastodon sounded like? I don't know. Who cares. Seabeast. If you're looking to get fucked by some thick, heavy riffs look no further. There are plenty to go around for everyone.

COOL RIFFS.
ROCK MUSIC.

"If you could hold your last breath,
how much longer do you think you could live?"

DOWNLOAD

2005 on Abacus records.

-XEVANX

"Hi, my name is Chad and I only post videos while still pestering my friends to do uploads."

2010-01-30T20:58:00.000-08:00

This has definitely become one of my favorite songs. Kind of a double-edged sword as I tend to be, or get really bummed when listening to it.

-XEVANX

Closure - S/T LP

2010-01-30T19:58:00.000-08:00

Closure were an emo(read:hardcore) band from Oceanside, New York who released a split 7" with Breakwater (a great band from Victoria), a song on the Can't Live Without It comp LP, and this, their only full-length, all on the Mountain records collective.

I was lucky enough to have a friend pull out the CD version of this while record shopping recently, as it's kind of hard to come by. Coming home and popping it in my stereo instantly made me remember why I fell in love with this style of hardcore in the first place. Quiet, sad sounding twinkly sections build and erupt into sweeping octave chords and back again with a real sense of urgency and desperation while the singer passionately screams his lungs out about his fears, ideals, and the mundane day-to-day. First and foremost this is a punk record, which too many "skramz" dorks will never seem to fully grasp.

I think this LP has stood the test of time quite well, and I can assure you it is well worth your while if you're at all interested in 90's emotive hardcore. This is probably one of the better representations of the style actually, and definitely one of my favorites. Intensely personal and really quite moving. Combine this with a really nice layout and you've got yourself an essential record. Get into it.

"17 year old skramz historians can suck it."

DOWNLOAD

-XEVANX

Calvary - Outnumbered Is Outflanked LP

2010-01-30T14:41:00.000-08:00

I think that this is Matt Weeks' (Current, .Nema, Council Records, etc.) finest hour. His singing is definitely quite reminiscent of Guy Piciotto, and pretty much everything here has an undeniable Rites of Spring vibe. If you're at all interested in the Revolution Summer sound you should probably check this out. Don't write them off as just a copy-cat band though. While the influence is pretty obvious, everything here actually has a really original and fresh take on the sound. Memorable, catchy songwriting, great lyrics... This is just a really great punk record that those who already know all seem to love, and those that don't know need to hear! So enough of my inadequate ramblings, download this!

DOWNL OAD

- XEVANX

Paul Chain - king of the riff

2010-01-29T13:42:00.000-08:00

Pardon my... month and a half long silence, oof. Life gets in the way of things. I can't guarantee it won't happen again, but here's an attempt at trying to get back on top of things.

Paul Chain is kind of a cult favorite it seems, and for good reason. He has played anything from classic doom, to space rock, to strange improvised ambient over the years and he's done it all gracefully with his own unique take on it. He sings in his own made-up phonetic language which vaguely resembles English. Also, his voice is pretty atypical for this kind of stuff which just makes everything seem even stranger. But if you're looking for a biography on Paul Chain, look elsewhere. This is about his 1995 release, Alkahest.

If you're looking for an introduction to Paul Chains work, I'd say this is probably a good place to start. It's probably my most jammed release of his, and probably his most consistently rocking. Lee Dorian of Cathedral actually sings on the second half of the record, so that should grab a few peoples interest too. What to expect: SERIOUS ROCKERS, catchy riffs, explosive leads, confusion and intrigue about this bizarre genious... I'm never really one to think about or comment on leads and solos, but I will say that during any given jam that's totally adequate and rocking, once Paul Chains' lead comes in, it really sets things on fire. This is definitely something you should at least check out.

DOWNLOAD

- XEVANX

Canon - The Solution

2010-01-28T19:40:00.000-08:00

WOAH! A NEW POST!

Yes, I'm updating the blog. Finally.

"HUAAAAHH HUOOOOOAAAAH HUUAAAAAAAWWHHHHH HUUUUOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAH.."

This 7" has been a much talked about record lately amongst my friend Russell and I. I've been into it for a couple years, but because I never knew anyone else who actually liked it..I always jammed it on my own without really discussing it, hahaha. Anyways, although it sounds slightly dated..it RAGES fucking hard, and the song writing is actually quite decent. It's quite evident that they were another one of the many bands in the 90s who were strongly influenced by the first couple Earth Crisis records.. and musically that's essentially all it is, four songs of heavy, chuggy Vegan Edge hardcore. What sets Canon apart from some of the other bands of the same time period is these songs are actually quite memorable. This record has really grown to be one of my favourites out of the many Vegan Edge bands of the 90s.

Seriously, if you don't want to backpack mosh when Declaration kicks in....YOU'RE CRAZY!

DOWNLOAD

(Vinyl rip done by the glorious Russell White.)

-xCHADx

Guess what...

2010-01-14T16:49:00.000-08:00

We suck! Holy lack of uploads. I promise to start updating weekly, and I'm sure if I bug Evan enough he will too (hahaha).

I'm at work right now, so I can't do anything too in depth/do an upload, but I'm going to post a link up to the Earth Crisis - Firestorm demo. I think this came out between the releases of All Out War and Firestorm, and it sounds a lot like All Out War era Earth Crisis playing some of the later songs. Some real raw, sloppier, earlier recordings of later tracks...super into it.

If you're a fan of the band, but haven't taken the time to jam this, DO IT. You won't be dissapointed. The recordings of this demo totally show you the transition the band made from All Out War to Firestorm/Destroy The Machines. You're moshing. I'm moshing. Mosh the world.

I'm just going to link to the Coregasm blog (which has tons of awesome 90s hardcore uploads) post of this Demo, because I don't want to just steal his link without giving direct credit.

Download the Demo from Coregasm

Holy stacked line up..

-xCHADx

PS: Evan, do an upload you bum.

QQ Pt. 2

2009-12-27T23:58:00.000-08:00

Why not post another great video? One of the greatest punk rock songs ever written.

-xCHADx

QQ

2009-12-27T23:28:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone's holidays went well. I ate too much Tofurkey and snacked HARD. It was excellent. Another lazy post, I promise this thing will get more upload updates of random, excellent shit from me in the near future. Seriously. Anyways, lets all just get bummed together and watch this Sunny Day Real Estate live video from 1994. I saw these guys on the Reunion tour, and although the ticket price was kind of steep..it was worth every penny. What a great band..

-xCHADx

Rollin' with the hardest crew...

2009-12-24T08:26:00.000-08:00

-xCHADx

Chadillac's Top Ten of 2009...

2009-12-23T00:32:00.000-08:00

Unlike Evan, I was able to blog mine directly after finishing mine. Hahaha. Endless beef. Hopefully I will do some uploads and posts this week. Apologies to anyone who actually reads this blog (which is probably three of our friends and Evan and I), I'm going to try and put up way more stuff, way more often.

I'm finally attempting to do it. Why the hell not. There are a few entries on this list that I consider interchangeable based around my mood, but whatever. You get the idea. Apologies for the rambles that inevitably go nowhere. 2009 was once again another excellent year for punk/hardcore/heavy music. Believe it or not, I have been listening to stuff that was released post-1998! These are all records that I was into this year, not necessarily YOU. So if you disagree, that's cool....but I don't really care. Make your own list!

1.) Propagandhi - Supporting Caste LP
I find it absolutely mind blowing that a band who has already released some next level material (especially with Potemkin City Limits) was able to match, and TOP that. One of the most important punk bands of the past fifteen years? Without a doubt. This record is so fucking good, I'm having troubles writing anything concise or interesting to really express how good that is.

2.) Trainwreck - Of Concrete Canyons And Inner Wastelands LP
Fucking Euros. I remember when they released the S/T a few years back, I was pretty into it. I kind of slept on jamming the two splits they released that much (which was stupid on my part as they are FANTASTIC). Fast forward to this year, Russdogg plays me "The Dead Next Door" (which is also, in my opinion, THE JAM on this record) and I was absolutely floored. They have totally surpassed their previous material with this record. The Germans do it yet again. This band has proven themselves to be one of the best bands playing "heavy" hardcore right now.

3.) Cross Stitched Eyes - Coranach LP
This is probably my most "untalked about" record of the year, as a lot of my close friends aren't very into 80s UK anarcho/peace punk bands, so I've kept this one to myself. But seriously, it's been a long fucking time since I've gotten stoked on a band that plays this style of punk...but this album did it for me. Think Death Church era Rudimentary Peni, mixed with Joy Division, Crass and 80s "Death Rock" style bands. Not everyones cup of tea, but if you're into any of that kind of shit...you'll be stoked on this. Dark, gloomy, dreary punk rock. Very well done. I jammed this thing so much this summer, but most of my close friends I see on the regular probably never even knew it. A secret love. Believe the hype.

4.) Punch - S/T LP
I was sold after getting super into the 7" last year, and then seeing them play one of my favourite shows of the year in a small punk house out here..and this record continues my love for this band. One of the best bands to do the "fast" hardcore thing in the past few years. Unlike the sea of posers, this band actually RAGES, and sounds legitimately angry...and angry about SOMETHING! Plus, they make hardcore that is much more interesting then 90% of the other "625 Thrashcore"//Power Violence revival bands that have been kicking lately. Sure, they also write ripping fast jams, but they do something that a lot of PV nerds forget to do.. write memorable songs! The mosh on this album is monolithic. The breakdowns are heavy as fuck. So good.

5.) Devotion - Bastard Son Of Affluence Blues LP
Mark Palm does it again. This record is a natural musical progression of where Go It Alone were heading with Histories. It blends the sounds/vibe of bands like Damnation AD, Down, Soundgarden, and Crowbar...but still remains as it's own thing. I actually like this a lot more then Histories, which is crazy to me because I'm super into that album. My two favourite songs are The Only Way (which features some PERFECT Damnation AD-style breakdowns) and Needle Full Of Liquid Pain (which is a brutally obvious Crowbar-ish jam). This record is a perfect riff fest from start to finish. Highly recommended.

6.) Martyrdod - Sekt LP
When this shit first dropped, I jammed it relentlessly. I have slowed down a ton lately, but I revisited it this week, and have listened to it quite a bit..and I can safely say it deserves to be on this list. I don't think they were able to "surpass" In Extremis...but whatever, this album still fucking RULES. One of the best bands playing D-Beat right now. I dig the fact that they also tried to mix it up a bit musically, and slow down some jams. Also fully support the weird keyboard parts. Adds to their obvious black metal influence.

7.) Converge - Axe To Fall LP
In all honesty, I was expecting a lot more from this record...I think just due to the fact that Converge are one of my all time favourites, and because of their back catologue of releases. However with that being said, I was by no means let down...it's really fucking tight still. I like it way more then No Heroes. I think that Converge wrote another quality hardcore record, and once again proved that they never release the same sounding album twice. I am a little put off by the "big gigging" metal vibe I get from this band as of late (in regards to their most recent tours)...but whatever. As long as they keep putting out good music, I will continue to support them. The amount of raging//sheer riffs contained on this LP is actually quite ridiculous.

8.) Earth Crisis - To The Death LP
Danny put it perfectly when he said to me (I'm obviously paraphrasing here), "Earth Crisis in 2009, putting out a new record. How was it possible for that to actually be good?". My sentiments exactly. No offense to the band, but after releasing a monstrosity of an album like Slither, and then putting out some god awful music like the last few Freya releases...I didn't have much faith left in Karl and crew. But they totally proved me wrong! I remember when I heard the jam "To Ashes" after it was uploaded to the Myspace, I was confused that it wasn't terrible Nu-Metal! My thing about this album is: it's not amazing. No beating around the bush here.. it's not as good as their old material, and they will never be what they once were. It's just a heavy, raging, pretty modern sounding hardcore album...but yet I have enjoyed the hell out of it this year. Not my top jam as far as Earth Crisis goes, but whatever, it was sweet to hear them put out an enjoyable hardcore record. It deserves to be on my list, because I have played it a hell of a lot this year.

9.) Dinosaur Jr. - Farm LP
Dinosaur Jr. once again releases another fucking top notch album. Real rockers. This album continues where their last album Beyond left off, with twelve more excellent melancholy, depressing alternative rock jams. J Mascis once again proves he is a God of the Riff. This album takes it back to the sound they had going on with releases like Bug, You're Living All Over Me, and Whatever's Cool With Me. What an excellent record.

10.) Kickback - No Surrender LP
HOLY FUCKING MOSH. This album could actually be higher up on the list, depending on my mood (but I stated that some of these were interchangeable before writing this list). But seriously, another Russdogg recommendation that absolutely floored me. This record is one of the most pissed off, hate filled hardcore records to come out in the past few years. Whenever I put this on, my first three reactions are to a.) punch any living thing within a fifteen foot radius of me b.) mosh a hole in the wall and c.) mosh apart every other visible thing in my path. Seriously, I can't get over how fucking vicious this record is. After venturing back and listening to their older records, Kickback totally hit their peak with this one. "NO REMORSE, NO SURRENDER..." This is Kickbacks best release, without a doubt. If you like heavy 90s mosh, Integrity, Ringworm, Converge, or various "Holy Terror" style bands...get into it. This shit is legions ahead of the majority of the other boring Integrity wannabe bands out there.

Honourable mentions//other records that would/could/probably should be added to this list depending on my ever changing mood..

Pulling Teeth - Paranoid Delusion / Paradise Illusions LP
The Helm - Home
Braveyoung - Bloom EP
Dissappearer - The Clearing LP
Wolves In The Throne Room - Black Cascade LP and Malevolent Grain 12" EP
Rise And Fall - Our Circle Is Vicious LP
Portraits Of Past - Cypress Dust Witch 12" EP (although that name is rather atrocious hahaha.)
Shrinebuilder - S/T
Buried Inside - Spoils Of Failure

WORD IS BOND.

-xCHADx

Hoop Doggy Dogg's top records of 2009.

2009-12-22T23:48:00.001-08:00

Until I do an actual upload (tomorrow?)... and because Chad keeps bugging me, here you go.

Once again, it's been a great year for new music. Jaded assholes can continue to smd. I'm posting this now so that nothing else can sneak up on me. I had some trouble narrowing it down, but heres what I've got. Warning: My brief rants and raves are going to be all over the place and probably won't be very coherent.

1. Propagandhi - Supporting Caste
Without a doubt, this has been the album of the year. And I have no doubt that it will continue to be in heavy rotation for years to come. Seriously, this is top 10 of all time material. This band just pushes above and beyond expectations with everything they do. Very few bands can continue to release completely unique and inspiring music like they do. A lot of songs here really hit home for me. This is the sound of hope and conviction. If I had to pick one band which embodies the spirit of punk rock, Propagandhi would definitely be one of the first to come to mind.

2. Arizmenda - Within The Vacuum of Infinity
I'm still sort of in awe that I'm putting a cassette initially ltd. to 100 copies from a band involved in a "black circle" on here, but fuck... this totally blew me away. If it weren't for the Propagandhi album, this would have taken the number one spot easily. This is what being consumed by a black hole would sound like. Really dark and twisted sounding stuff. I find it incredibly easy to just let it take over, and when things slow down a little and break the trance my mind just falls apart. Theres a few moments here that are so good that they actually hurt from how into it I get. I sound like a fucking idiot, but there is no way to convey just how good this is. Easily some of the most powerful black metal I've heard. Totally mind bending.

3. Trainwreck - Of Concrete Canyons and Inner Wastelands
Trainwreck are still the best current band in hardcore. This record just continues their brand of ripping dark hardcore, HEAVY AS FUCK breakdowns and serious fucking riffs. Theres a few more quiet parts thrown into the mix too and I really like the extra dynamic they add. I don't really know what else to say. This band is just an absolute power house. The Germans know best. "The Dead Next Door" is a serious contender for THE JAM of the year. (god damn euros)

4. Daïtro - Y
Still the best current emo band. I was seriously wondering if they'd be able to write an album as good as "Laisser Vivre..." but they definitely did, if not topped it. Absolutely fantastic songwriting. They added a lot more clean vocals as well, which I would usually view as a negative, but it never seems out of place and works really well. up the emo punx.

5. Buried Inside - Spoils of Failure
I was actually disappointed with this when it first came out, but it was pretty unreasonable to expect another "Chronoclast." My main complaint was that it had all this great tension that never really reached any sort of insane catharsis, which is what was so flooring about their previous record. Anyways, after taking a good break and coming back to it, this is still a really great record which just takes more room and time to achieve it's goal. And despite my initial reaction, they do succeed at it. If nothing else, this would still make it here for the sheer amount of times I listened to "V" which is a seriously next-level jam. I guess this was supposed to have a whole string section which got lost somewhere along the way, and that would have really put it over the top. I'll just have to think about the glory that could have been...

6. Disappearer - The Clearing
This band was basically a Pelican soundalike that I guess decided to add vocals and tap into some seriously massive riffage, and god damn is the result ever great. I think this is one of the best sounding Ballou recordings in recent memory. Everything just sounds HUGE. The songwriting is fantastic and it was so memorable that it was stuck in my head for days after the first time I heard it. It's also a strangely melodic record, even though theres all these huge riffs going on. The few instrumental songs that there are don't seem forced at all, and you hardly notice that they're instrumental because the songwriting is just that good and everything fits in perfectly. I know I'm not the only person who has hyped this up. Highly Recommended.

7. Liturgy - Renihilation
This was initially going to be my pick for top black metal record until Arizmenda came along... but anyways, the amount of energy pouring out of this recording is unbelievable. I try to stay away from using the word "epic" when talking about music, but in some cases it's unavoidable and in this case it doesn't even do it justice. If your world hasn't collapsed by the time you've finished listening to "Mysterium" I think there is something severely wrong with you. This is just really moving stuff, and theres a ton of beauty shining through the treble. Let the music speak for itself.

8. From The Depths - Germinate
This is Brian Dingledine (Catharsis/Requiem)'s new band, and they play a mix of d-beat hardcore and anarcho punk with female vocals. Maybe it's not cool to like this stuff, because it seems to have gone largely unnoticed. I remember no one wanted to go check them out with me when they came through so I ended up going by myself and not really talking to anyone, but it was 100% worth it. They're one of the few bands that I've seen that left me legitimately inspired afterward. I still think about it sometimes and it gets me stoked again. and god damn, their vocalist has serious pipes.

9. YOB - The Great Cessation
This is heavy shit. Really dark and dirgey. It kind of reminds me of Neurosis at their heaviest meets Burning Witch. Monolithic, mammoth-siized riffs are everywhere you look. I think this is the best thing the band has done to date. Doom fans take note.

10. Shrinebuilder - S/T
I'm actually surprised this didn't end up higher on my list, but I guess that just goes to show how much great music has come out this year. Naturally I hyped this up A LOT and had very unrealistic expectations. It just comes down to being a really natural feeling, well-written and pretty fun album. It's pretty interesting to listen to because you can almost tell exactly how much each member contributed to each song. "Pyramid of the Moon" has gotten a fuckload of plays from me.

A few noteworthy albums that didn't quite make the top 10 worthy cut...

Martyrdöd - Sekt
Absolutely pummeling (black)metallic Scandinavian hardcore. This honestly falls pretty short of their previous effort, In Extremis, but I just love this sound so much that it hardly even matters. Where In Extremis succeeded in being driving as fuck and never-letting up at all, this succeeds in being a little bit more varied with slower tempos showing up more often, wierd black metal keyboard outro at the end of the first song, some really wierd clean vocals that show up in a few songs, more leads... and that fucking brutal low end is still present.

Converge - Axe To Fall
There was a time when I wouldn't hesitate to call Converge my favorite band. More and more it seems like that time has come to an end. Which is strange, because honestly this record is really good. I actually like it a lot more than No Heroes. While everything here is really fresh sounding, it kind of feels like they're mostly just going to sound like themselves from now on, and they keep falling further and further into "METAL BAND!!" territory which is fine, it just doesn't sit quite right. But whatever, this is still a really good record. I think the best part is that the last two songs are basically weird Neurosis songs.

Tempest - Haemorrhage 7" and Casette Single
Best band in Vancouver. It's been great seeing friends create something really worthwhile and progressively get better. Download everything over at http://www.myspace.com/goodbyevan

Honorable mentions also go to Rise And Fall for taking it to the next level, The Helm for continuing to be on top, Portraits of Past for actually releasing a really good record in 2009, P.O.S. for providing some dope rhymes, Giant(Braveyoung) for nailing their current direction, Dinosaur Jr. for providing some more bum out jams, Matthew Good for still being real, Om for putting out their most interesting release to date, Miserere Luminis for writing non-cheesy depressive BM, and Wolves In The Throne Room for putting out a decent album which I've really come around to now, even though it's not Two Hunters.

Interestingly enough I've hardly listened to the new Celeste record (although it is still awesome), the new Raekwon even though it's a total banger, or the new Tombs. I will have to get into these more in 2010. I also need to mosh Kickback - No Surrender to oblivion.

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT:
Isis - Wavering Radiant
Whoever talked this up as being a return to the old sound needs a stern talking to. Whoever brought up the idea of putting the keyboards higher in the mix needs a stern talking to. This recording is also way too clean. Isis, I will forever love you, but I don't think I can forgive you for this one.

Also, I think the new Krallice kind of stunk or just hasn't clicked with me.

MOST EXCITED FOR IN 2010:
new Immolation, new Most Precious Blood to continue moshing to oblivion, Rocky Votolato, Marrow, Owen Hart, Dangers, Trap Them, Tempest...I'm sure theres a lot but I can't think right now. It will be another good year for sure.

Keep on trucking. Punk is forever.

-XEVANX

Quicksand - Dine Alone Video

2009-12-20T20:55:00.000-08:00

Until I stop being a lazy asshole and do a proper upload/post, enjoy..

-xCHADx

.Nema - Bring Our Curses Home

2009-12-15T12:52:00.000-08:00

"Look toward the sky, blink and it slips away. One more quick glimpse before dirt covers the light of day."

.Nema were a short lived band from Detroit, existing from 1995-1997. They played absolutely ripping dark hardcore/PV/grind/whatever. Notable members included Matt Weeks of Current/Calvary/Council Records etc. and Jeff Rice, the vocalist of Ottawa.

I'm not really interested in doing a huge write up right now, but I will say this: .Nema were heavy as fuck and completely raging which makes up for whatever moments of this record weren't quite fully realized. It's definitely worth a listen at any rate. Lyrical topics mostly deal with the frustration of being trapped in a capitalist system (punx) but they're actually pretty well written. My favorite track here is "Before Dirt Covers" which actually reminds me of some of the slower His Hero Is Gone moments. And much like the theme surrounding Ottawa, "Bring Our Curses Home" is indeed a Lord of the Rings reference. BARUK KHAZAD, KHAZAD AIMENU.

DOWNLOAD

This upload is the CD version of the record relased on Sound Pollution which also features the bands first two 7"s, as well as a split 7" with Inept that never got released. You can visit the Council Records site for more worthwhile information. Enjoy. (until I get fucking mediafire to work, this is someone elses download.)

-XEVANX

SEASONS GREETINGS FROM A DEAR FRIEND..

2009-12-15T00:58:00.001-08:00

-xCHADx

Crystal Lake - Freewill DEMO

2009-12-12T14:52:00.000-08:00

The Japanese always seem to know how to do everything perfectly. This band is no exception. Musically, this EP is quite standard 90s heavy hardcore worship...but it's just done so well. So much chug, some EXCELLENT divebombs, perfect breakdowns... everything is written exactly as it should be when trying to play this kind of hardcore. I am moshing my bedroom to pieces. You should also do so.

Crystal Lake are still around, they put out an LP (Dimension) in 2006 that is also pretty good, a bit more "modern" and "polished" sounding metalcore, but I am into it. I think they put out a split too recently..and did a split with Risen and another Japanese band that is enjoyable. If you like what you hear, do some searching online and pick up their other stuff.

But seriously, the amount of mosh produced on this record is monumental.

My descriptions suck today, I apologize.

DOWNLOAD

-xCHADx

Creation Is Crucifixion - In Silico

2009-12-12T14:20:00.000-08:00

Grindy, noisy, heavy, spastic metalcore from Pittsburgh. This record is half crushing metalcore...and half noise tracks. So words of warning, if you aren't super into noise stuff..maybe skip your way through to the jam "Bottom Feeder", which is when the actual music kicks in. I'm not very knowledgeable about the whole "noise" genre, so I don't tend to jam that much of that shit...but I can get behind the stuff on this record. Works perfectly with the style of hardcore being played.

But yeah, not a huge writeup today. I'm not in the mood, hahaha. ..But if you're a fan of 90s metalcore, various grind bands, and noise stuff...check this out. It's absolutely crushing. I can assure you, you'll be down.

"I PRAY THAT YOUR GOD WILL BURN. I PRAY THAT YOUR CHURCH WILL BURN. BURN THE CHURCHES END THE FAITH THIS IS THE MANIFESTO OF THE DAMNED."

DOWNLOAD

-xCHADx

PS: I recognize that my lack of write up/effort of this post doesn't really express how good this record is. It's REALLY FUCKING GOOD.

Lets take a break..

2009-12-09T12:33:00.000-08:00

and appreciate one of the greatest bands of all time..

PS: real updates/uploads coming soon. I've been lazy the past week, my bad.

-xCHADx

OBLIGATORY VIDEO POST IN HONOUR OF THE MIGHTY RIFF.

2009-12-02T23:40:00.000-08:00

-xCHADx

CANADIAN METAL! - Gris, Sombres Forets, Miserere Luminis

2009-12-02T13:18:00.000-08:00

Being too lazy to actually post a download, I would like to use this opportunity to bring a small niche of artists from Quebec to your attention. I think they're doing something worth paying attention to.

G ris and Sombres Forêts, who collectively form Miserere Luminis play a really captivating take on depressive black metal. Fuzzed out guitars, tortured wails, dismal atmosphere... the essential elements are all there, but in a way that they never fall in to simple Burzum worship, or being lo-fi for the sake of covering up a lack of talent. There are also minimal amounts of cheese, which can be a rarity in this genre. The despair expressed by these individuals is the real deal. Production quality is actually quite good, as everything is really clear while there is still an obvious care for aesthetic. Furthering their talent, the members in Gris add piano, violin and cello sections themselves instead of relying on guests. These guys just know how to write really effective, creative, and absolutely miserable black metal best experienced in complete isolation, at night by candlelight. While each band has their distinct sound, this brief review still applies to all of them. I highly recommend them all, as they can be quite moving when experienced in the right mindset. The Miserere Luminis album is proving to be one of my favorite things that I've heard this year.

You can purchase the bands releases on CD from Sepulchral Productions in Montreal, and Northern Silence in Germany seems to have some crazy editions of the last Gris LP still available.

Since this IS a download blog, I'll link you over to the Grim Arts of Melancholy where you can find all releases by the bands. If you like what you hear, try and support the black arts.

- XEVANX

Burn - S/T 7"

2009-12-02T12:31:00.000-08:00

"WE HAVE KILLED AND SHALL BE JUDGED..."

It is time for a post about the mighty Burn. This is one of the most powerful, creative, and groundbreaking records to come out of the NYHC scene of the late 80s/early 90s. A serious classic.

Although this record is highly regarded and loved by hardcore kids galore..I still know many people who don't really care THAT MUCH about it/may have not given it the time of day, so I thought I'd do this post. Plus, it's long out of print (unless you wanna buy the mp3s from Rev on Itunes..hahaha). After much deliberation (with myself, of course) while photocopying at work about what my favourite Revelation release was, I narrowed my choices down to ten records (no real order): Burn - S/T EP, Inside Out - No Spiritual Surrender EP, Youth Of Today - We're Not In This Alone LP (yes, I know Caroline did the original press, I don't care.), Chain Of Strength - The One Thing That Still Holds True LP (yes, I know the 7"s were originally released on different labels, but again..don't care.), Kiss It Goodbye - She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not LP, Judge - Bringin' It Down LP, Texas Is The Reason - Do You Know Who You Are LP, Morning Again - As Tradition Dies Slowly LP, Quicksand - S/T EP, and Gorilla Biscuits - Start Today LP. Note: There are probably some records on this list that are subject to change when my mood varies, but I feel this is quite consistant with my tastes in hardcore. Don't agree? Get at me, we will discuss the other great releases by this label.

While devising this list, I just started nerding out (as I do a couple times a month, also with myself) about Burn and HAD to jam the S/T EP and the Last Great Sea EP. Lets just say, I moshed those photocopiers to oblivion. I also thought, "wow Chad, you should use the blog as an outlet to nerd out EVEN HARDER about how incredible the Burn 7" is!" So here you have it. In my opinion, this is the best hardcore record Revelation Records put out, and dare I say it..one of the best hardcore records of all time? (Oh, I just did.)
ANYWAYS, enough talk about how much of a nerd I am, and more talk about this record (which will just, in itself, reiterate how much of a nerd I am).
To start things off: lets discuss the sleeve/layout of this 7". The entire layout is very clean and simple..not unlike many other Rev bands from the time period. The perfect way to setup artwork for a hardcore record in my opinion. That's one thing I've always enjoyed about Revelation releases, they are typically laid out quite simple and neat, and usually look FUCKING SWEET. The cover rocks a tight Burn logo, and a grainy live shot. The cover alone screams "PERFECT HARDCORE RECORD".The back of the record/insert follow through with this aesthetic, and it all works perfectly. Comedic tidbit: if you have a first pressing, someone shat the bed and spelt Judged wrong..."Jugded". Brings me a mean chuckle everytime.
Now, lets discuss the music: plain and simple, this record is a masterpiece. This takes what was going on in New York at the time, and throws in a ton more interesting influences. A lot more melody and weird/groovy guitar playing, without sounding like they were just playing reggae.. or alternative rock. Burn just took a classic hardcore sound, and made it way more fresh and interesting. It's obvious that this record (along with the Quicksand and Inside Out 7"s) laid the groundwork for much of what was going on within hardcore throughout the rest of the 90s. Without this EP, we would not have had so many awesome bands (and a ton of not so awesome bands). Way ahead of their time. I am so overwhelmed with joy when I listen to this record, that I can't even do much of a well thought out write up on the actual music. Lets just say....if you are a fan of late 80s youth crew, 90s hardcore, and various bands from New York, and haven't already heard this....you should probably do yourself a favour and listen to this record RIGHT NOW. The music will do a much better job of selling the quality of this band then my ramblings ever will.

The rip sadly isn't mine, as I currently don't have my USB Turntable set up on my computer. But whatever, you can still hear everything that's going on.

DOWNLOAD

-xCHADx

The Gault - Even As All Before Us

2009-12-01T14:36:00.001-08:00

Man, I fall behind on posting pretty easily. Heres an album that will keep you busy, while I'm busy not updating my blog.

John Gossard of Weakling, now of Asunder on Guitar. Lorraine Rath, who has played in Amber Asylum on bass and vocals. Sarah Weiner of Weakling on drums. And a new name, Ed Kunekamakorn on vocals. By now, I should probably have your attention. This group of musicians formed The Gault in 1998, and recorded their sole album, Even As All Before Us in 1999. Due to problems finding the right label and mix, it was released posthumously in 2005. I guess that no one really cared when they were around, and I don't think too many of my friends are aware of them, which has lead me to this post.

The Gault's music is quite difficult to describe, so here are some poorly assembled adjectives which make me sound like an idiot. Think slow moving, dreary soundscapes that build with tension over the course of the album. Sweeping, sprawling, epic, haunting, droning, high-tension, melancholic... whatever. I mean, I guess you could place the guitar work loosely between Weakling and Asunder, but theres more to it than that. The vocals are similar to Ian Curtis of Joy Division, but leading into more intense howls and wails. Angelic female vocals surface here and there. Theres a lot of great eerie bass lines, and the drumming gits'r'done. They're labeled as "western dark doom" but there actually aren't that many crushingly heavy, monolithic moments here that I usually associate with doom metal. Just let the music speak for itself. If you could't bear to read my ramblings, it sounds like the cover looks...

DOWNLOAD

My favorite tracks here are "Obliscence" and "The Shore Becomes The Enemy."

You can purchase the record from Van records in Germany, or place an order through the band via their myspace. Check out an interview with John Gossard done by the Maelstorm e-zine for more useful information than I could give you.

- XEVANX

Trial Live At Burning Fight (May 2nd, 2009)

2009-12-01T12:57:00.001-08:00

Well, I posted the Damnation AD video...I HAVE to post this one as well. This is one of the most intense hardcore sets I have ever seen video footage of. My friends who got to experience it in person could get into further detail about it then I ever could, but the video itself is a great watch. I'm happy to say I was lucky enough to see this band at their recent Seattle Reunion.

Greatest hardcore band EVER. I can never stop talking about how much this band means to me...but I'll save that for another day. But seriously, Trial are the best hardcore band ever. No but seriously.

YOU BETTER RECOGNIZE..

Another video done by Hate5Six.

-xCHADx

PS: Trial are the best hardcore band ever.

Damnation AD Live At Burning Fight (May 2, 2009)

2009-12-01T12:51:00.001-08:00

I am still bummed that I couldn't get my shit together to go to Burning Fight. Oh well, for those of us who weren't lucky enough to experience it.. the dude who does Hate5Six was nice enough to film a large portion of the fest.

Damnation AD are a band that I slept on for WAY TOO LONG, but once it all clicked...boy did it ever click. No More Dreams Of Happy Endings is an absolutely perfect record. Definitely in my top ten. I'm sure I will be doing more posts on just how incredible this band is in the future, but for now I leave you with an awesome video to watch. The setlist they play is perfect. The Hangedman gives me chills everytime I listen to it. Crushing.

Enjoy.

PS: check out Hate5Six for other awesome videos from Burning Fight/hardcore shows from the last couple years. http://www.hate5six.com/

-xCHADx

Oblivion - MMX Demo (New Tacoma, WA hardcore band)

2009-11-29T19:24:00.000-08:00

Anyone who knows me well enough knows one thing about me...I LOVE heavy, 90s hardcore. It has become quite the obsession over the past three to four years. I am aware of how ridiculous/annoying that love can be sometimes, and I am going to take a moment here to send out my regards and warm hugs and kisses to all of my friends who put up with my constant talk about "mosh" and 90s hardcore. You are all very patient.
ANYWAYS... Oblivion are a new Northwest Hardcore band (from Tacoma, Washington to be precise)...and they play hardcore very similar to bands like Disembodied and Die My Will. Only one word is needed to describe this band......HEAVY. They've got the tone down perfectly. I hope these guys keep it up. This shit rules. Check it out...

DOWNLOAD
www.myspace.com/tacomaoblivion

-xCHADx

Eye Of Judgement - The New Crusade

2009-11-29T18:27:00.000-08:00

Holy fuck is this record ever over the top. Eye Of Judgement were a Vegan Straight Edge metallic hardcore band from the Netherlands (just broke up recently, statement about that HERE). Sounds a lot like a blend of Integrity, All Out War, and Earth Crisis...and also like a lot of the bands out of the "H8000" scene. This isn't groundbreaking stuff by any means, and not something I would jam everyday...but it rages fucking hard, and this band definitely rises above the legion of other "Holy Terror" style bands attempting to play that shit right now.

Now, before anyone starts crying about how ridiculously "militant" and "sketchy" this bands lyrics are......take a second to think about what you are listening to. Their name is EYE OF JUDGEMENT. They are European. They are influenced by an array of bands from the 90s who carry a constant cloud of sketch over their heads in one way or another. The lyrics (although I will admit are kind of weakly written) are exactly what you'd expect from a band like this. It matches the music perfectly. Don't even bother downloading this unless you're into any of the bands they are influenced by//90s militant Vegan Edge bands.

If the breakdown in "Declaration Of War" doesn't have you punching the nearest person in your proximity square in the face...you have a problem.

"MAY THE GUILTY BURN IN THE HELL THAT THEY CREATED.."

I recognize that this record only came out in 2006, however it is another New Eden Records release...which is long dead (and not to mention run by a piece of shit)..and I'm quite sure it's out of print now. Eye Of Judgement have a new record out now that they self released (Belligerent) available through their own label, Wrath of Time Records. You can pick it up HERE. It is quite good.

PS: holy fuck, so much mosh. Endless mosh. I am moshing my room to pieces.

DOWNLOAD

-xCHADx

You should probably do yourself a favour..

2009-11-26T17:16:00.001-08:00

..and order the Devotion - Bastard Son Of Affluence Blues record. One of the best hardcore albums of the year. Sounds like a blend of Damnation AD, Soundgarden, and Crowbar.

Buy it HERE.

Real update coming later. But felt I had to post this.

-xCHADx

Hello world!

2009-11-25T22:49:00.001-08:00

-xCHADx

Welcome The Plague Year - S/T

2009-11-25T13:13:00.000-08:00

"whats that? it's the sound of a billion people gasping as the last tree ever is cut down. making room for our mega malls and feed lots. we might destroy the one thing capable of maintaining our existence. the richest man in the world will be the man who creates blacktop that can produce oxygen. the fifty year countdown is upon us. the fifty year countdown to our nonexistence. it's a wonder we have lasted this long."

I am going to start this post off with a simple statement that I feel needs to be said: FUCK "SKRAMZ" (and, to a lesser extent, the term "screamo"). That term is one of the stupidest ways to describe a style of hardcore I've heard in a long time. It annoys me as much as when kids call anything related to modern hardcore "brocore". Actually, it annoys me way more then that (and that irritates the fuck out of me). Who came up with this term? Why is it being used? I have only ever really seen it used on the internet, never really by anyone who actually seems to "get it". Anyways...the word just seems really redundant and pointless. Enough ranting.

Welcome The Plague Year began in 2003 and featured members of You And I, Neil Perry, Makara, and Joshua Fit For Battle (OH MY GOD, SKRAMZ BANDS! SKRAMZ BANDS!). Musically, this kind of reminds me of the aforementioned bands they played in, plus bands like City Of Caterpillar, Portraits Of Past, Funeral Diner (whom they also shared a great split record with) and slightly like Uranus and One Eyed God Prophecy (MORE SKRAMZ BANDS! SKRAMZ!). Not saying that they sound EXACTLY like anything I've listed, but you get where I'm going with this... if you are into any of that stuff (and other bands in this style), then you will dig this record.

This only came out a few years back, but it is out of print. I often find that not many other friends/people I know who like this style of hardcore seem to be very into this band. This record is incredible from start to finish. One of my favourite "2000s" era Emo albums. At times quiet and twinkly, and then heavy, devastating hardcore. No sassyness, no bullshit.

Get off the Touche Amore hype train (as that band stinks), and start jamming the real shit.

DOWNLOAD (Im going to do an upload of this later, but in the meantime I'm linking someone elses)

PS: STOP SAYING "SKRAMZ"
PPS: SKRAMZ.

-xCHADx

Dimlaia

2009-11-24T15:46:00.000-08:00

I couldn't tell you why it seems like Dimlaia have stayed so under the radar. Especially considering the ex-member syndrome (Carl Auge played bass in His Hero Is Gone). But for whatever reason, they seem to have gone largely unnoticed, which is why I'm making this post.

Dimlaia formed in 1998 in Memphis, Tennessee. They played a really interesting blend of dark, emotive hardcore, crust, and sludge, creating an all around pretty unique sound with a lot of heavy atmosphere. Theres a lot of really dark soundscapes here that really hit home for me. The riffs all flow really smoothly and definitely have a lot of power once things get going. Jackie Perez Gratz of Amber Asylum lays down some cello on a few tracks which works really well with all the other textures going on. Dave Edwardson of Neurosis handled the recording. Honestly though, this is the kind of band that you need to hear to fully get a grasp on. Highly recommended. If the names Carl Auge, Jackie Perez Gratz and Dave Edwardson don't mean anything to you... you probably shouldn't bother checking out too many of my uploads.

Another great thing about this band is the artwork, which is all handled by Carl Auge. I'm not a guy who knows a lot about art, but I do know that the colors and styles he uses all resonate with me a lot more than most things I see in art galleries. Get into it.

The S/T album was released on CD by LifeIsAbuse in 2003, and LP by Stonehenge. You can still purchase the CD here.

"Scatter the hopes you had for life in mountains you build to hide the sun."

DOWNLOAD

On this split 10" with Swarrrm, Dimlaia bust out a ten minute epic here that feels a little closer to most "post-metal" than the vibe they had going on the LP. It was released by Superfi/Crucificados, both European labels. I really like this song.

"Brought to darkness. Brought to this. Burnt piles of wishes. Lost to reason. Lost to years."

The Swarrrm tracks here aren't as bad as I remember them being, aside from the last one which is just awful. All you need to know is that they're from Japan and play rediculous, over-the-top grindcore.

DOWNLOAD

Buy these records and support the labels/distros wherever you can. Carl is now playing in Drain The Sky who I might like even more and I highly reccomend you check out.

- XEVANX

Leatherface - Fill Your Boots

2009-11-24T12:21:00.001-08:00

Leatherface are one of the greatest punk rock bands ever. I remember when I first heard their song "Andy" on the split with Hot Water Music..I instantly fell in love with this band. One of the saddest punk songs ever. After that, I heard Mush. Incredible record. For whatever reason, I didn't venture that much farther into their discography for some time (probably because those two records are just so fucking good)..but I'm glad I finally did last year. Leatherface play some of the most sincere, heart filled punk music I have ever heard.

Anyways..this is Leatherface's second album, released in 1990 on Roughneck Records, and it always seems to be largely overlooked by people who are into this band (because many others seem to face the same problem that I did..that Mush is just so damn good, haha). It's a shame, because it's a top notch record. Get into it.

DOWNLOAD

BUY FROM AMAZON

-xCHADx

Ebola - Imprecation 7"

2009-11-23T10:07:00.000-08:00

During one of my many pillage sessions of the 7" drawer at Audiopile, I came across a band called Ebola. I had never heard them before, but sometimes it can be fun and rewarding to buy records that way. My reasoning for this one was "Well, they're called Ebola. They probably rip." And Indeed they do. Ebola was born in 1995 and were from Benwell in the UK. They played what could be called Power Violence I guess.

This 7" was released in 1997 on Flat Earth/ Rufusenik Records, and there were something like 3000 pressed in various different forms, so you're likely to come across this in a dollar bin sometime. This 7" came with a massive booklet with the lyrics for each song on a different page. They're political, personal, pissed, and just seem really sincere. Regardless of musical quality (especially for PV bands) sometimes all a hardcore band needs to do is have that sincere anger to be good. Anyways, this 7" rages pretty hard and is worth checking out. Note the incredible jazzy piano part in the last track that totally fits.

DOWNLOAD

Before this 7" Ebola released an LP which I like quite a bit, but is a little bit less viscious. Afterwords there was a split 7" with Servitude that came out on Clean Plate which is nearly unlistenable due to the production, and a split LP with Jinn. Theres a few comps I've seen as well. I beleive the core of the band moved on to be in Jinn who play dark, crusty, ripping hardcore and are totally worth checking out here. Interesting fact, the bass player now plays in The Endless Blockade. Enjoy.

- XEVANX

Dangers Interview

2009-11-23T00:38:00.000-08:00

I am totally doing two posts in one day, I don't care. Here's another interview from my zine that never got published, this time with Tim and Al from Dangers. My good friend Danny White let me use this interview he did with Dangers for a zine that he never finished (oh the comedy behind it all). Dangers rules, this interview is sweet. A little dated, but who cares. Enjoy. (Thanks again Danny!)

1. We'll get this out of the way, who are you, what band are you in, and what do you do in said band? What other bands have you and your bandmates been involved with and lastly, why did you form this band?
We are Dangers, from Los Angeles, Berkeley, and Redding, CA. The band is Adam on drums, Curt plays guitar, Al provides the high pitched yelps, and myself on bass (Tim). Al and I were in The Miracle Mile before forming this band, which was a band that kind of wore on everyone in it. By the time it was over, most everyone in the band couldn't stand it or each other. I swore I wouldn't be in a band with any of them again, but Al recorded a demo when he was on a break from school (basically written and recorded on his own) and brought it to my dorm room when we were back at Princeton and I dug it (remember that scene in High Fidelity where Jack Black puts his head in his hands and admits that the "Skate Fuckers" demo is really fucking good? That was me when I listened to Al's demo... really, really wanted to hate it because, most of the time, I hate him). I decided I would play bass in a band again if we were a bit more concerned about content, really taking care with each and every lyric, really pushing the bill lyrically and musically, and taking our time rounding up members that really were a good fit for the band. Rollie, who recorded the demo, had the music grow on him, and we welcomed him as our first drummer and later, when he got bored there, as guitarist. The dude is pretty much a musical prodigy (listen to Nuns With Guns and tell me he's not), so we were thrilled to have him and he has been a HUGE part of writing all of our stuff thus far. We worked through a bunch of lineup changes but now we're more settled. Adam joined us (also from Nuns) and Curt (Set It Straight fame) took over guitars when Rollie got his black belt in guitar and decided we weren't worth his time. Rollie set the bar pretty high and we were worried about finding someone who could actually fill his spot, but Curt's a perfect fit and we seem to finally have a stable core. Tim Bevins is our honorary fifth and tours with us as our Drum Tech. Currently accepting applications for a roadie.

2. This might seem like a strange question, but I've never seen any sort or review of your records or interviews with you in zines and I've never seen any of your songs on compilations. Most people seem to know about Dangers through word of mouth, both positive and negative. Do you intentionally keep a low profile? If so, is there a specific reason?
We've done a few interviews here and there and we've got two compilations that are in the works. For the most part though, we have a certain stigma attached to our name for a variety of reasons, so it's alright if we sometimes seem under the radar. It seems that if you don't just sing strictly about straightedge, veganism, or friendship (not talking shit, Al and Curt are edge, I'm vegan, and Adam's got friends) people get confused and punchy so we kinda shy away from band, label, or scene affiliation. Since we put out our own records and tour with a diverse bunch of bands, people hopefully realize that the four of us and only the four of us are accountable for our words and music. We've been in bands long enough to know that, in hardcore, drama and rumors are like a contagion and we'd rather keep things simple. Also, we've all got more important things that we're doing, all four of us find our education (not necessarily scholastic) and what we can do with it more important than just being in this band. For that reason, you'll never see us releasing three records in a year or touring for more than a month or two. It's a slow paced thing, but we like it this way. Plus, it makes the shows a bit more special.

3. People feel VERY strongly about Dangers, both positively and negatively. I don't think I've come across anyone who has said "oh, their OK". Why do you think this is?
Well, we're happy if that's the case. I mean, it's not always great to be a polarizing band, but we'd rather elicit a strong reaction from people, even if it's negative, than a ho-hum sort of thing where our shows or our records aren't memorable. I think a lot of why we get such extreme reactions is that we tend to talk about "controversial" issues. And we don't shy away from expressing an opinion on said "controversial" issues. A lot of people think we are pushing buttons or trying to get the sorts of reactions that we get, but that's really not our goal at all. We just figure there are important things to talk about and so we do, in as honest a fashion as we can. From the release of our first EP and our first show we've been pretty loathed by a bunch of people. After that, most people who gave us a listen or went to a show had heard something about us before they had heard us. For that reason, there's probably a bunch people who like or hate us more than they would naturally. It makes shows a blast though. Most of the time, if it's not our first time through town, the kids are there because they really want to be there, because they are similarly as passionate about the stuff our band is interested in, not because we're the band that it's cool to like. The downside, of course, is that there may be 20 people there (or outside) who want to set your van on fire.

4. The First thing that drew me to Dangers was that the lyrics leave no room for interpretation and the music is a truly unique take on punk/hardcore. It actually bummed me out a little but because it shouldn't be so rare to come across well spoken/furious/yet simple to understand lyrics set to interesting music within the punk/hardcore community. Why do you feel most bands aren't willing to put themselves out there musically and lyrically?
To be candid? Because putting-yourself-out-there doesn't sell records and might make you unpopular. And, as we see it, most bands involved with punk and hardcore music these days would rather enjoy the resigned support of a whole lot of kids than the very passionate support of just a few. Write familiar music with lyrics about how your friends are cool, how Bush is Satan, or how much you hate popular kids and there's no end to the amount of kids who'll be moshing and piling-up; when you sing about something that every kid might not be behind, you risk losing a fan-base. You risk not getting on a well-distributed label. You risk not being able to tour Europe and Japan and Australia. You risk having shows where there's only eight people there. And there's a lot of bands that don't want to deal with that, which is totally understandable. And there are definitely moments when our approach can be frustrating. From the outset, though, we have never been concerned with how popular or unpopular our band was. That just didn't seem like a productive criteria to judge our success. The point is to create music that's as honest as possible, songs that we really believe in. So the music is what it is because that's the music that we are interested in hearing. And the lyrics are what they are because those are the words that we're interested in singing. The closer you get to being satisfied with your own music, the more successful you are. It doesn't matter how crazy your shows are or how many kids have gone onto Oink looking for your songs. You know whether you've written something worthwhile even before anyone else hears it. You've got to look at popularity as an added bonus. And sometimes it can even signal that you've played things too safe, that you've made something so accessible that maybe you're not really pushing any boundaries. So we just keep trying to impress and surprise ourselves. We're getting closer these days.

5. The first version of the 7" I owned was on black vinyl and had a clear silk screened sleeve. It looked cool but didn't come with any lyrics. I eventually re purchased the 7" and gave that first copy away. It didn't make sense to me because you strike me as a band that would put an emphasis on lyrics. So, what's the deal with that press of the 7"?
Interesting. The first version you owned without lyrics was, hopefully, the only version that came without lyrics. As far as we know, every record we have ever sold has come with lyrics. Since we do a lot of the album construction (stuffing lyric sheets, silkscreening, stamping) ourselves, we sometimes mess up. There's also a pretty huge lag when it comes to ordering our stuff and receiving it in the mail. All of this has to do with the fact that we are trying to do a lot of things at once and we are hardly ever in one place for a long enough time to make the band a routine ordeal. So, simple answer is: we fucked up if you didn't get a lyric sheet. We apologize! Lyrics are very important to us. Especially when it's all yell-y type stuff and it's not so easy to hear what the fuck we're saying. It's important to yell because that best fits the emotion of a lot of our songs. But it's just as important to actually know what we're yelling.

6. This is something that has been bothering me since I saw you guys play. How do you feel about a bunch of white kids screaming along to the words "Behind my back you probably call me a nigger"? Personally I would feel very uncomfortable saying that and thus haven't sung along to that part of the song either time I've seen you.
I've thought about that, too. And I can imagine the lyric itself can be confusing to people. I think a lot of people might hear that lyric and think that I wrote it in a sort of tongue-in-cheek sort of way, sort of invoking the spirit of a black man or something. It's hard for most people to believe that one of my parents is black, African-American, or whatever you want to call it. But that's the truth of the matter. My dad is black. And that song, while being a criticism of the disjunction between the idea and reality of policing in today's society, is also very personal. My half-brother is a cop with the Los Angeles Police Department and I know that he had a really tough time accepting my father into the family when he was younger. So the lyric is a projection of what I think is the truth, that he has called me a nigger behind my back. So, for me, it's difficult when I see people singing that part of the song not because they are using the word "nigger," but because it's just a really personal moment in the song for me, not an ideological one. As far as what words are acceptable to say and what words are offensive and what words are okay to say at our shows, that's not for me to decide. Words have the power to effect people in very profound ways. I myself have a tough time with some words. Like, I always cringe at the word "Jew" for some reason. Not "Jewish," like not when someone says, "Bill's this Jewish kid I know." But when someone says the word "Jew," like, "Oh yeah, Bill's a Jew," it really gets to me. It sounds so violent to my ears and accusatory. Anyway, what I'm saying is that I understand the hurtful and discomforting effect of certain words. But I also don't think it's my job to police anyone. I don't make the rules on what people and should say. I'd love for people to be more conscious of the effect that words can have and be less cavalier when it comes to throwing slang around. But I myself am rarely scarred by language. So I don't have an ethical problem with people saying "nigger" at that point of the song. I guess I spend a lot of time on both sides of the politically correct issue.

7. What are the worst problems facing society today? Are they being dealt with within the Punk/Hardcore community or are they being mirrored by it? The line between the punk community and normal society seems to be getting thinner by the day, why do you feel that is?
A hefty question. I mean, we could say global warming is the most important issue today because it absolutely affects everyone regardless of country, color, or creed. The horribly unbalanced distribution of wealth in the world is highly intolerable. The lack of adequate health care. The millions of people still dying of preventable or curable diseases. The continued genocides raging in Africa and Asia and any number of page seven countries. I mean, the world is fucked, yeah? Has been for quite some time. Trying to point at one and say, "This, this here is what we need to fix first," seems ludicrous. However, I do think there is a general sense of greed and selfishness that is billowing out of the United States and slowly affecting and engulfing every person in the world. It's sad to me that we are such "highly evolved" creatures and yet can't grasp that a simple change in our attitudes toward one another would yield a lot of lives being saved and lived in a much more gratifying manner. So I guess that's the greatest challenge we face today as humans. Trying to overcome thousands of years of animal instinct where we put such a high value on our own life and getting rid of the survival of the fittest, winner take all mentality that the world seems to be entertaining. And as far as the punk/hardcore community is concerned, I'm not convinced that any large-scale good is going to emanate from loud screaming in tiny basements. But what I do believe is that the kids in the punk community do seem like some of the most likely candidates having an actual effect on the world. Some of the brightest minds I've known I've met in little smelly rooms with crazy bands playing. And the thing is, before those kids are members of the punk community they are members of the human community. And the hope, at least for Dangers, is that we'll have an influence on one of these minds. That maybe we won't change the world, but we'll affect one or two kids that actually will do that. A lot of what we do is just what you said: holding up a mirror. We have arguments all the time about whether or not our time would be better spent actually helping people. Making sandwiches for homeless people or joining an awareness group or actually going to some war-torn area and lending time and effort. For now, at least, we hope we're doing our little bit of good, that maybe we're helping one or two kids, and that idea sort of frees us of any guilt that could come along with spending so much time having fun and being "entertainers."

8. On a more positive note, what do you feel are the best things currently going on in both normal society and the Punk/Hardcore community?
Well, when you go on tour, doors are opened all the time to you. People you have never met let you come into their house and stay the night. They cook you food. They let you wash your dirty feet in their tubs. They give you towels and pillows and let you get on the internet. And what do they know about you? I mean, maybe they like your band or whatever and they think they know you, but they don't really have a clue. It's widely celebrated in punk songs from all years that we take care of each other, carte blanche. And it's one of the few aspects that keeps me so excited about punk year in and year out. I only talk about it here because I guess it's the sort of thing that can happen from time to time in "normal" society, but less and less. Like, you can't hitchhike anymore. And you can't go into some rural town and just knock on a door and get a hot meal and a warm bed. And maybe those are romantic, nostalgic notions of the past, but the fact that those sorts of practices have died out is, to me, a symptom of a much sicker society that is perennially more and more afraid of the "other," of the unknown. It seems humans keep building larger and larger fences between the familiar and the unknown. I think it's an attitude that has lead us into war and threatens to do a lot more damage to everyone if we keep that sort of xenophobic mentality up. So, the hope is that maybe the punk rock carte blanche sense of hospitality could infect the normal world and we'd all start taking care of each other a bit more. Pretty hippy of me, I know, but I think the older punk gets and the older punk kids get, there might be a chance of it coming to pass.
9. How important would you say vinyl is to punk culture? How would things change, if at all, if we just pressed everything onto CD like most other musical scenes?
These days it seems vinyl is making a hefty comeback in light of the popularity of mp3's and digital downloads. Like Radiohead's new record and they options they have for purchasing the download and the vinyl. And I know the last Against Me! record came as a pre-packaged LP/CD combo. Point being that even mainstream companies are realizing the existence and difference between the casual music listener that wants his tracks downloaded to the PC as quick as possible, and the true music fan that appreciates the entire package and maybe even collects different versions of the same record like someone else might collect lithographs or books. I think vinyl culture is important to punk mostly because of the way it makes punk musicians approach writing. Still today punk kids think primarily in terms of records, not in terms of individual tracks or "singles." And that's a very important distinction between punk and other types of music. Maybe, too, it's because songs are usually quite short and a punk "single" wouldn't really be worth the download fee or whatever. Anyway, I think what Deathwish Inc., Rivalry, Equal Vision, and a whole host of other "punk" labels are doing by introducing their records to the iTunes store is a very slippery slope. Writing one or two good songs can work for a pop singer, but who wants that out of a punk band? Maybe I'm old fashioned and nostalgic. Either way, I like that vinyl is still very important. It means we write records. We think in terms of twenty minutes of music. Maybe more. We value having lyric sheets. We search thank you sections to learn about other bands. And while I'm not very into collecting vinyl, I really hope that young kids take to having the actual record in their hands with pride. It's how bands manage to break even on tour and, if you look at bands like Graf Orlock or Converge, taking care with the actual artifact of the record can allow you to express the ideas of the band even further.

10. What were your expectations when it came to touring western Canada? How did your experience compare to those expectations?
Our first trip through any Canadian cities that weren't Vancouver or Victoria was this past summer. We came into the tour with a sense of adventure, I guess, hoping that there'd be one or two kids at the shows that really wanted to be there, that had heard us and were waiting for us to come through. It's always nice to make someone else happy just by doing something that you love to do. So we were excited and hopeful, but we definitely didn't expect what we got. We traveled all day from Vancouver to Calgary and our van was leaking differential fluid the whole day and half the band wanted to just call it quits and skip the show. But when we showed up, somewhere near midnight, and there were still all these kids waiting for us to play, we were all happy we had pushed on. And then, we play our first two songs and kids are all singing along - well, I said before that we don't really care too much about our popularity, but there's no denying that there's a natural human reaction to having something you've worked very hard on be so enthusiastically accepted by kids so far away from home. Calgary and Edmonton were a dream as far as touring is concerned. Both because we had so much fun and met so many awesome people, but also because it seemed there were people there for whom the jury was still out regarding Dangers. And I hope we affected them. Maybe caused them to think a little bit more about what a band can and should be about. The other shows we played in Canada were in Regina and Winnipeg, and both of those were less people but still exciting shows. The hard part is trying to figure out where people heard us before we got up there because I send out most of the record orders and there definitely weren't THAT many for Canada. So I guess people have downloaded our stuff somewhere, which is fine with us, it was just unexpected. We hope to get back as soon as we have something new to offer.

11. What were your best and worst experiences on that tour (summer '07)?
Well, as I sort of mentioned, our rear differential got all messed up about 1/3 into tour and so we had to deal with that the entire tour, getting under the van and putting in more oil every few hundred miles. So that sucked, but mostly for Tim the roadie and Adam, because that was their major duty during tour. We didn't have air conditioning, which wasn't a problem until the south, but then everyone got cranky. We had gas stolen from us in Mississippi while we were in buying snacks. But, as crappy as all these moments were, and you add to that the handful of shows where you are tired and worn out and you get to Austin and five kids have driven six hours to see you from Oklahoma but they are the only kids there and the situation is just awkward, these moments still somehow make it into the "best" category. Because they are the things that you will remember. Just like the crazy shows, or like going innertubing in the Boise River. Tour is always the highlight of the year because it is so markedly different than your daily life. Every day you don't know where you are going or what to expect, and then every day ends with getting to play music, which is the best feeling on earth. The most memorable show for me was in Provo, Utah because of the conversations we had with the kids after the show and coming to realize that choosing to listen to punk music for a lot of them wasn't just a scene, but a complete change of life. Some of them had to move out and suffered horrible relationships with their parents because they decided that punk music made more sense than God. There were only a handful of kids there, but it was a really moving show and a totally strange place.

12. How do you feel about Hardcore's obbsession with nostalgia? good, bad or a little bit of both?
I've mentioned my nostalgic attitude a few times already. As a point of reference, I still use a manual typewriter when I'm writing stories. And I love sending letters. And I don't own a television. And I'm trying to convince myself to get rid of my cell phone. Which isn't to say I abhor technology or the future or looking ahead or anything, but I definitely have a strong attachment to the past. In punk and hardcore, I think a lot of times we hold the historic bands of the past on a pedestal. Like Black Flag and Descendents and Minor Threat. But, you know, for me, I think those bands deserve the sort of veneration they receive. I've read interviews with a lot of the people involved with the monumental bands of the past and they always warn against over romanticizing what went on. They tend to suggest that there was a bunch of nonsense that went on there, and they point to the fact that society is still fucked, that music is, for the most part, still shitty, that they didn't really revolutionize as much as one might think. But I still tend to say to myself that SST or Dischord really mean something important. They did everything themselves, they proved that large big-business machines are not necessary to become popular in the music scene. And they also proved, and continue to prove, that there is something called musical integrity and it's not something to giggle about. I'm really offended when there's a new band that sucks. I feel like they lower the bar of all music everywhere. So, as much as it is important to keep moving forward and to redefine words like "punk" and "hardcore," I think it's very important to know what came before. Not only so that we don't fall victim to the same shortcomings, but also so that we know exactly what's possible. You can put your own records out. You can book your own shows. Ticketmaster is not necessary. Recording contracts are not to be lusted after.

13. What have you been listening to as of late and what books have you read recently that you'd recommend?
It's important to note that we all four have huge musical and literary differences. Pretty much all we agree on is Propagandhi. We all listen to and really enjoy that band. Curt loves Hot Water Music and fantasy novels with elves and zombies about as much as anyone could. Adam listens to anything with 6/8 time structures and reads manuals relating to strange mechanics. Tim likes all the heavy, D-beat type stuff and The Observers and reads a lot of philosophy books and Umberto Eco. As for me, I rarely listen to loud music. I love Neko Case a lot. And I listen to the Edward Scissorhands soundtrack by Danny Elfman all the damn time. But all this just sounds like "we're so different because we listen to music other than punk" type material, and that's not the point. I'd suggest all the bands we are close with: Comadre, Graf Orlock, Ghostlimb, Acts Of Sedition, Rail Spike. All of them sound nothing like one another, but they are all honest and that's the only real criteria I have these days. We all love the bands from Bremerton like HIV, Sunset Riders, President Kennedy Is Assassinated, The Flex. They are all really talented and really young and will do great things. And I recently started listening to the old band The Jesus Lizard. I skipped out on that band when I was teenager because I was way too punk, but the were amazing. Listen to "Goat," how the drums just punish, it's such a great record. And as for books, I read all the time, mainly fiction, mainly short fiction collections. In that realm of the literary world, I'd recommend "The Nimrod Flipout" by Etgar Keret, the newish "The Collected Stories of Amy Hempel," and the book "Dear Mr. President" by Gabe Hudson. All are absolutely top form. I recently read "A Fan's Notes" by Frederick Exley and was glad I finally read it. Moving. Anyway, whatever it is you have in your hands, read it! Reading is good. So good.

14. Aaaaaaand lastly, Is there anything you'd like to add?
This is the part where we say what we are up to, right? Well, we are doing a short winter tour with Graf Orlock and Ghostlimb. Then we are taking a few months to write and record a new record. Hopefully that comes out in the summer and we'll go on another tour. Also, be on the lookout for the return of Sink With California Festival. Maybe. Also, how's the snow?

-xCHADx

Seven Generations Interview

2009-11-21T08:56:00.000-08:00

Once upon a time, I started working on a zine, did a bunch of interviews with some of my favourite bands, and all of the other shit that goes into a zine...but I took WAY too long to actually put it out, so most of the content became slightly dated. I guess I could have just released it with old content, but I just felt like it would be silly to try and sell something with interviews that were a year (or more) old. Anyways, some of them are still an enjoyable read, so I've decided to just post them up here instead of let them go to waste.
Here's an interview with Chris Rouse, the vocalist from Southern California Vegan Straight Edge band Seven Generations. Seven Gens are one of my all time favourite bands to come out within the last ten years. They released a fantastic LP (To See The End, on New Age Records, highly recommended if you are a fan of mid 90s hardcore) last year, and sadly called it quits and played their final show not too long ago this year. Another awesome band bites the dust. Such is life. RIP.

Here's the interview..
Q-First and foremost (and just to get the generic starter question out of the way), what is your name, and what is your duty in the band?.
A-My name is Chris Rouse and I am the singer (aka no talent member) of 7 generations Q-How long have 7 Generations been around now? What upcoming releases are currently in the works for the band? A-7 Generations started in early 2003 when Sentient (a vegan band that I was in with John Johnson) broke up. John and I still wanted to continue to play music together (time changes so much, doesn't it?) so we set out to form a vegan straightedge band that would take a more outspoken approach to veganism, straightedge and various political view points than the members of Sentient would have been in line with.
Q-What was the first thing that made punk and hardcore appealing to you?
A-Punk was introduced to me very early in my life. I used to skateboard with an older kid who lived in my neighborhood. One day, when I was in 4th grade, he gave me a tape of some bands he thought I would be into. I took it home and listened to the whole thing at least twice in one sitting. The band on it that I found myself most drawn towards was Operation Ivy, who still is my favorite band to this day. I would say that what first attracted me to the music was simply that it was exciting and enjoyable to skate to, nothing very profound by any means after all, I was only nine or ten. If anything it would be much safer to say that Operation Ivy drove me towards the lifestyle and perspectives I have now more than anything, other than my parents insight that is. When I was twelve (1995), I was introduced to hardcore by some friends of mine from middle school. I was, and they weren't, ahead of our time or anything, at least not where we lived and not in that time period. My middle school seemed full of kids who were into punk and hardcore. I knew 6th graders that had already sold out straightedge. My friends introduced me to hardcore because I called myself straightedge and they found it odd that while I was straightedge I hadn't ever heard of hardcore. I found out about straightedge through Minor Threat (who I got into thanks to another tape the kid I skated with gave me) and the whole concept fit with what I already felt. I had always stayed away from alcohol and drugs because various members of my family have struggled with addiction and I could easily see that it was something that didn't make anyone's life any better. While I was straightedge at the time I had no idea that there was an entire subculture of straightedge people. A friend of mine from science class gave me some bands to look into and told me that some were playing near us soon. I went to the record store a couple miles from my house and bought a pair of records from two of the bands my friend had told me about (by this time New Years had passed and it was 1996). I actually still remember which records I had purchased: Unashamed- Reflection and Strife- One Truth. Shortly after that I went to see Unashamed, and that began my involvement with hardcore.
Q-Where there any particular bands that really got you into all of this?
A-Well, as previously stated Operation Ivy began it all for me and Minor Threat wasn't far off. As far as punk goes those were the two bands that impacted me the most in my earlier days (although I was very into Green Day and Rancid back then as well, but they didn't have the same impact on me as the other two.) Hardcore began with Unashamed (who I thought were the most amazing band I had ever heard at the time) and Strife (at one point in my freshman year at high school I had 8 strife shirts, ridiculous) but I was a collector from the beginning. My allowance used to afford me to purchase a cd every other week, which was the only thing I spent my money on, and my parents would always order me records as well. My first mail order that I received in June of 7th grade was the Deadwait- s/t 7", the Eyelid- bleeding through 7", Snapcase- lookinglasself on cd and Raid- hands off the animals on cassette. All those releases were very important to me in those days and I still listen to them frequently (except maybe Raid).
Q-What does punk mean to you?
A-The most primordial way I could think of to state my feelings on punk would be to say that I feel punk is a vital expression for individuals, especially youth, who are disenfranchised and frustrated by the powers that be. If I were to attempt to apply a statement about what I think punk should ideally be viewed as universally, that would be it. On a personal basis I would say that punk is an underground and independent musical outlet for dissenting individuals who maintain a constant critical questioning of the assumptions and foundations of mass society. I do not think that every band has to be 100% political 100% of the time. I am very capable of recognizing the validity of bands that express strictly emotional topics. Also I am not of the opinion that every band has to be pissed off. Some bands are needed as an outlet for joyful feelings or perhaps as beacons of hope that we can strive for in our more down trodden moments. I do, however, feel that the overall feeling of punk rock should be one of a counter culture. I think if punk ceases to frighten those who represent mainstream mentalities, then it is breathing its last breaths. My personal view does not recognize bands that express patriarchal views or racist sentiments as legitimate in punk rock. I think at the very least we should all be intelligent and compassionate enough to recognize gender oppression and racial supremacy as unacceptable.
Q-What initially introduced you to veganism?
A-Veganism was introduced to me in the prototypical mid-90's fashion, which was by Earth Crisis. I'm sure that is not looked upon as very profound or impressive, but that is the truth. I had toyed with the idea of vegetarianism in 6th grade, but I did not really understand the dire nature of the issue. When I was thirteen I bought my first Earth Crisis record (All Out War) and I found myself with a very pronounced interest in why it was this band was so ardently behind an idea that up until that point my understand of was that it was some sort of eastern religious concept. I began to do some research on the issue and read into the conditions that factory farm animals live in. Once the evidence was staring me in the face I felt that I could no longer be a willing participant, even if in an indirect sense, in animal murder. I adopted a vegan lifestyle because it seemed to me then, as it does now, that it is a very real and important stance, both symbolically and spiritually, against an unjustifiable oppression. Ever since that moment I would say that ecocentrism and animal liberation have been the most important causes that I endorse and struggle for. Of all the many horrid and inexcusable atrocities that are taking place, the destruction of the feral environment and the wanton brutality against the animal nations are the most unbearable. Billions of animals every year are enslaved, tortured, raped and beaten until they all meet a bloody death. These are not mindless and unfeeling masses of flesh, these are individuals with broad ranges of emotion and expression that form bonds with one another and are fully sentient, being systematically butchered for an unnecessary diet and lifestyle. The rapine and devastation being acted out upon the feral environment by industrial civilization is unspeakable and has nightmare consequences. We are living in the greatest era of mass extinction the world has ever seen. Estimations place the extinction of a full third to half of all plant species within the next forty years. 130 species of wildlife go extinct EVERY DAY. 140 acres of forest are slashed and burned every hour. Overpopulation of civilized humynity has reached epic proportions and is continuing into increasingly unstable numbers at an accelerating rate. The oceans are being poisoned and pillaged to a devastating and catastrophic degree that may soon begin an unstoppable and everlasting dismemberment of the marine ecosystem. There is no cause more urgent than the defense of feral life systems.
Q-Is it true that members of the band/fans were actually getting harassed by the FBI? What's the deal behind this?
A-Several years ago 7 Generations was heavily involved with fund raising for the legal defense of Peter Young, a so called "eco-terrorist", who was charged with liberating many mink from several fur farms across America. Approximately towards the end of the summer of 2005 F.B.I agents came to my home and my work to interrogate me about the animal liberation community. During this encounter they informed me that agents had attended and surveyed a number of 7 Generations shows. Shortly after our drummer Tim was also intruded upon by F.B.I. agents at his home (they claimed to have a search warrant, but one was never produced) and they proceeded to search his house. Our bassist and one of our guitarists at the time also reported strange incidents at their houses but never any direct encounters. Suspicion on their behalf was that they were being surveyed or had been the victim of sneak and peak searches but, to be honest, this is speculation. I wouldn't be surprised if it ended up being true, but I can't confirm that there is any truth to these notions. Since then a number of 7 Generations friends and supporters have been interrogated and photographed. The owner of our first record label (Straight On Records) had also mentioned some encounter if I am not mistaken, although it may have been his roommate. Tim, Adrian and I have been harassed frequently by local cops who all know our names somehow. It has all been thoroughly obnoxious.
Q-Are you able to clear up why you guys cut ties with New Eden?
A-I will attempt to sum this up as briefly as possible. Erik from New Eden Records has been accused of sexually harassing and coercing several womyn in the recent years, one of whom was roughly ten years younger than Erik (making her a minor). There have always been mentions here or there about Erik being a sexual predator in one capacity or another, but I was never able to ascertain what degree of truth these accusations had. Eventually a couple of the victims/survivors of Erik's behavior ended up being individuals within our circle of trust. These individuals came to us saying that Erik had bullied and pressured them into sexual acts that they were not engaging in of their own desires and had issued various threats to them about the repercussions coming forward would produce for them (he allegedly used his position within the hardcore/punk scene as leverage.) I won't share the exact details but the accusations are quite severe, rape wouldn't be recognized by all as an appropriate term but others have recognized it as such. The synchronicity of these individual's stories matched exactly with other stories that had come to me and other individuals within Erik's social circle in the past and have come to us since then. There are signs I should have recognized sooner, but in all honesty I was blinded by my deep love for Erik and I's friendship and once he had sworn that these allegations were not true I believed him until the particular incident in question. I now believe that the previous stories I had been told were most likely true as well because they follow a very distinct pattern despite all the sources being from different times, places and circles. I know a minimum of five people who were friends of Erik's, one of whom was a partner of Erik's during the time period in question, that maintain that he had sobbingly confessed to the truth of the accusations to them in private, however he has denied the truth of these statements publically and even constructed conspiracy theories as to why so many people are attempting to "destroy" him. In light of the accusations of the victims/survivors that came forward to us we ceased involvement with Erik in any capacity. Whether or not the whole incident is the truth has yet to come to any public consensus, but we in 7 Generations believe the victims/survivors and encourage people to cease socially accepting Erik until he seeks professional counseling for his problem.
Q-Have you ever had to deal with any backlash at shows for being so outspoken with your ideals from fans of the "other side" of hardcore?
A-Yes we have. Reactions have varied, some verbal and indirect, others as direct as violence. This isn't really much of a problem in our view though. More accurately I would say that I was disappointed in 2005 when we were at our zenith of popularity. We would put forth ideas and opinions very publically, but a certain number of people who participated in our shows actively and publically opposed our positions, not in an intellectual and respectable manner but rather in a considerably belligerent and uneducated manner. I was quite dissatisfied with the idea that someone who harbored hateful attitudes towards the poor or towards womyn or towards homosexuals could be embracing 7 Generations musically. The fortunate turning point was a church show that we played. After we vocally opposed Christianity and conservative politics at this show many, many people began to hate us and we largely fell out of favor with the majority of hardcore kids. We still receive support to a greater degree than I ever had dreamed possible, but now it is from people sympathetic to our view or, more importantly, from individuals open to ideological exchanges. I never wanted 7 Generations to be a band isolated within the activist hardcore scene from the majority of the community, the whole purpose was to encourage the asking of certain questions to individuals who had not considered them, but I also did not want people to be able to ignore our ideas and look at us strictly as music to rock out to. The crux of 7 Generations has been attempting to find that balance from which we can address those unfamiliar with our perspectives without having those perspectives negated by passivity. Further, while I do value open and polite exchange, if a situation deteriorates to the point where no mutual ground can be established, I have a very real fondness of iconoclasm.
Q-It's obvious you guys are quite passionate about veganism, and feel that it is a very detrimental lifestyle...my question is how do you personally feel that veganism can be spread to the masses of people who won't necessarily be exposed to it via the same means as those of us involved with punk and hardcore?
A-That is a very good question. I think it is very necessary to recognize that the possibility of mass acceptance of radical veganism is slimmer than your average vegan's waist, but I do think public awareness and participation in animal liberation, or at least animal rights, is crucial. I am at a large disagreement with many of my radical vegan contemporaries when it comes to groups like PETA, who most radical vegans resent. I think public campaigns for animal rights awareness is very valuable and I think PETA, while certainly making some TREMENDOUS mistakes, is very respectable in that manner. Of course education, green consumerism and mainstream appeal are not going to solve the problem of animal murder but the closer society as a whole comes to having its consciousness raised in regards to reverence for animal life, the greater the more effective and important means of animal liberation can succeed. For example, the SHAC 7 could possibly have had better funding for their legal defense if our society were as open to animal rights as it is to a number of other relatively unpopular movements. So, essentially, I believe the cause of creating mass awareness of animal murder is indispensable, but the real change, if any is possible, is not achieved legally. I think the most crucial element of the animal liberation struggle is direct action. Liberating an animal will always be more valuable than some billboard or approval from a political commentator on the radio. The animal liberation movement needs to be dynamic and well populated. Involvement on all levels is needed. Every person who has the ability to create public awareness is important, as is every person with the courage to intervene directly on behalf of the animals. Those who fit into the former category should educate themselves as thoroughly as possible on the wealth of information about the animal murder industry as well as make themselves familiar with every argument against animal liberation so that this form of propaganda can be effectively neutralized. Those who find themselves capable of partaking in the latter category should educate themselves on the legal repercussions if they are caught, ON HOW NOT TO GET CAUGHT and on the most effective means of action.
Q-All time favorite Smiths record?
A-My favorite Smiths album is ever-changing, but I would say that it is most likely Strangeways, Here We Come. My favorite Smiths single is "The Boy With The Thorn In His Side", but this is not so much because of the single itself but rather because the b-sides are brilliant. If we are talking about my favorite Morrissey record (because I do prefer solo Morrissey to The Smiths) then my favorite album is hands down Vauxhall & I and my favorite single is probably "Roy's Keen" but again this is more for the b-sides than the actual single. My favorite Smiths song is "Asleep" and my favorite Morrissey song is by far "Speedway". The greatest song ever to be written about animal liberation will always be Meat Is Murder. That song is perfect. Thank you for asking this question.
Q-Favorite hardcore record released in 2007?
A-Despite widespread cynicism by many people and the general lack of worth most hardcore bands have, I think hardcore still puts out some brilliant records. Die Young's full length "Graven Images" is fantastic. Architect put out an absolutely stunning record this year called "All Is Not Lost" (which was a surprisingly hopeful title for one of Keith Allen's bands, who are always amazing.) The lost songs by The Mistake that wound up on the internet are fucking great. Risen from Indiana put out a new demo that is certainly one of the best records I have heard this year. Life Tyrant put out an awesome demo. Red Son released a 7" that is very good. Run With The Hunted put out an ep that is so catchy I'm almost embarrassed to be in a band. Fuck, I don't know, there was a lot of great stuff, I'm sure I'm forgetting like ten records I loved this year. There are so many good bands right now if one is willing to look. The aforementioned bands are all great, Requiem, Attrition, Verse, GIANT, Dangers, George Moshington, Light Yourself On Fire, Graf Orlock, Reflect, Kingdom, This Time Tomorrow, One Choice, Gather (R.I.P.), Eye of Judgment, the list goes on and on. I can tell you this much also, in 08 the Restrained 7" and the Time For Change full length are going to be incredible. If the Between Earth And Sky record ever comes out it will be the best thing anyone has heard since… I don't know, maybe ever.
Q-Thank you for taking the time to answer all of my questions! We're all really excited to include an interview with you guys in the zine. Any final words you would like to say to those who are reading this thing?
A-I'm sure I've already bored everyone to tears so I will zip it. Thank you so much for the interview. GO VEGAN.

As a bonus, I've also uploaded their "Slave Trade" EP, as a.) it is out of print in both vinyl and CD formats and b.) the dude who ran New Eden is a slimey, sketchy piece of shit (as addressed in this interview) who, even if it was still available, does not deserve a dime, and thus I have no problem giving that shit away for free. If you like what you hear, support Seven Generations by picking up the LP from New Age... http://www.newagerecords.com

DOWNLOAD

-xCHADx

Strain - Here And Now

2009-11-19T23:25:00.000-08:00

I don't even know where to begin with this post. Strain are my favourite band from the Vancouver hardcore scene. Here And Now contains 33 minutes of some of the heaviest, most pissed off hardcore put to recording. It's one of those records that I tend to jam while riding my bus home after a long day at work, or when I'm having a bad day...and man does it ever create the perfect soundtrack to an awful mood. When I am listening this and pissed off, I want to ANNIHILATE everyone and everything in sight.

Maybe it's just me, but I've always viewed Strain as a band that are largely overlooked by many when discussing awesome bands from the mid 90s hardcore scene. This is a real shame, because they are better then 90% of the others from that era. Jody's pissed off vocal delivery and lyrics, the perfect mix of chugging riffs with a little groove, the HEAVY AS FUCK breakdowns......perfection.

But seriously, if you listen to some of the many current hardcore bands trying to do the whole "hard" sound.... stop listening to that boring garbage and get into this record instead. Strains music is the definition of "hard". Jody crushes all those wimps. I guarantee you will feel irate and want to break something in the midst of listening to this album.

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Note: I just noticed that this CD is apparently still available through New Age. I'm going to keep the link up anyway, as this record came out so long ago that it is essentially out of print..but if you like what you hear, you should buy it.. http://www.newagerecords.com/webstore/cds/na32.html

"THIS LIFE, THE ONE YOU FORCED ME TO LIVE, I SEE YOUR LIES...AND I WILL NEVER FORGIVE!"

-xCHADx

Some Zorn releases for your listening pleasure.

2009-11-19T09:28:00.000-08:00

I'm making this post because the only other blog that I can find any concrete information on Zorn (which is all great) has mostly broken links, and I think more people should probably give this a listen.

Zorn were a hardcore band from Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany existing from 1993-1998. I've always enjoyed the more talked about German bands from the 90's like Acme and Systral, and why Zorn isn't up there with them is beyond me. I guess they were one of the earlier bands to play with influences outside of just the hardcore scene, so people wrote them off as a "metal band" a lot of the time. Zorn play a blend of the Uranus/One Eyed God Prophecy school of thought mixed in with some influence from black metals bands like In The Woods... and early Ulver, as well as some Souls At Zero/Enemy of the Sun era Neurosis among other things, creating something completely unique. Honestly, theres nothing else like this and I haven't been able to stop listening to them/trying to track everything down since I heard them.

After a demo tape, the "Heftig Aufflammender Unwille" 7" was the first Zorn release, put out by Equality records in 1994. It's probably their most "hardcore" sounding release, but even then, a couple of the tracks showcase some blatant black metal influence. Highly reccomended. (This is a Russ-Dogg rip.)

Download

Andersen comp 7" w/ Kimusawea, Ambush, and Hitler.

Download

This is a split 7" with another German band, Zelot. Sadly, Zelot are largely forgettable and don't really do much for me. The Zorn tracks here are really great though. Pretty similar to the 7", and how could you say no to that cover art?

Download

Here we have the "Denn Alle Lust Will Ewigkeit" LP released on Maximum Voice Productions in 1996. They really found their unique sound on this record, and I can't reccomend it enough.

Download

This record took me for fucking ever to find, but it felt good when I did. The band changed their name to "The Men of Hell" which is cheesy, but I guess it's appropriate since this is a different beast entirely. The focus here is more on big, thicker riffs more akin to metalcore than anything else. There also a wierd effect on the vocals used here, but it's pretty cool. So, here it is, "The Return of the Gods" LP, released on Maximum Voice in 1998.

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Zorn also have a track on the Plot Comp LP, which I'll probably upload at a later date, and some demo tapes which I would love to hear. But anyways, I hope this serves it's purpose in spreading the word about this incredible band. Theres also going to be a discography 2XLP coming out on Adagio/Vendetta records sometime next year, so get stoked.

- XEVANX

Crowbar Worship Part 1

2009-11-19T00:13:00.000-08:00

I initially intended to use this post to upload a Crowbar album for download, but after doing some searching around online I discovered that although out of print, their records are still quite easily available and thus I don't feel right posting full download links on here. However, I am going to use this post to discuss (and introduce) one of Evan and I's favourite bands to those who maybe have not heard them/taken the time to give them a chance. I am considering this Part 1 because I can foresee much more Crowbar worship being posted on this blog in the future.

"I HAVE FAILED."

Crowbar are a band that, upon first listen, I did not understand at all. I was confused, intrigued, and a little weirded out. I just kind of brushed them off as some lame metal band compromised of fat dudes that were down with Pantera. I remember when I was younger and first getting into sludge/doom bands, I heard that they shared a member (Jimmy Bower) of Eyehategod, and proceeded to jam sample tracks of Crowbar songs from the S/T record on some online mailorder site. It just sounded like....fat dudes playing metal. Too weird for my sixteen year old ears to fully comprehend. Fast forward about four years later, Evan and I begin constantly having late night sessions of Mario Kart 64 and real talk, and he wants to put on Odd Fellows Rest. I was quite reluctant to give it a chance (being a stubborn asshole), but Evan (also being a stubborn asshole) didn't give a fuck, and put it on anyway. Boy did he ever do me a favour. The second Planets Collide kicked in (as we were racing around Rainbow Road), I was completely floored. Not what I was expecting at all. For a band compromised of what I would (upon first glance) write off as nothing but "sketchy", fat "bro" dudes.. they were writing some of the saddest, most painful jams I had ever heard in my life. I was introduced to this band during a really bad time in my life, and it was like Kirk understood everything I was going through (I'm aware of how corny that sounds, but it's true. This band made dealing with some unpleasant moments much easier for me.)

There are two key components to Crowbar musically that sold me as I was first getting into them: 1.) they manage to write songs that, while being HEAVY AS FUCK, are also interesting, creative, and melodic and 2.) they essentially created their own brand of sludge.metal that not one other band had sounded similar to/will ever sound similar to. Crowbar are on a level of their own. To lump them in within one single genre within metal/hardcore isn't the easiest task as this band takes from an array of different influences and creates something completely different and original.

Crowbar defines the meaning of the words HEAVY and HARD.

crowbar - sonic excess in it's purest form - thru the ashes (i've watched you burn).mp3

My personal favourite Crowbar records (in no particular order): S/T, Odd Fellows Rest, Sonic Excess In It's Purest Form, and Broken Glass. Investigate them. It's worth it.

"No more can we crawl.."

To be continued...

-xCHADx

Introduction pt. 2 // Corrupted - Live In LA, 11/07/08

2009-11-18T09:44:00.000-08:00

Well, here it is. A Chadillac/Hoop connection that's actually happening. A sign of things to come? Possibly. You will not be ready. Anyways, I'm just going to be using this to post some of my favorite music that may or may not be as readily available as some other things out there, and make it easy to share with friends. Hopefully you'll find something of interest along the line.

I'm going to start this off with a live set from Corrupted's fall tour last year with Asunder. Honestly, I had never heard Corrupted before seeing them. I was really excited to see Asunder though, who played a great set by candlelight. I was definitely not prepared for what was going to happen next. It's still sort of a blur, partly because I was absolutely exhausted, but mostly because of how incredible it was. All I could do was sit against the wall of the empty warehouse in which they played, getting crushed and pummeled by sheer sonic force. There was just an overwhelming sense of sorrow and emptiness being emitted from those amplifiers, which was really quite surreal in it's beauty. Oh, and they were really fucking heavy.

If you're not familiar with Corrupted, they're from Japan and have been unleashing their blend of atmospheric/brutally heavy sludge/doom metal since 1994. They've got quite an extensive catalogue, featuring mostly split 7"s with bands like Grief, Noothgrush, Discordance Axis etc. I actually don't think most of their early stuff is that captivating, but somewhere along the line I guess they decided to be incredible. They've also maintained a sense of mystique about the band, so information/photos/whatever are hard to come by. If you're a fan of the slow and heavy this will probably be up your alley. If not, it might be a little trying.

So, heres their set from LA towards the end of the tour. I don't have any information on who recorded it, but if I get ahold of it, I will give credit where credit is due. Thanks to Russ-Dogg for hooking me up with it. Theres three songs here, and about 2 hours of music. It's definitely something else.

Part 1:
Download
Part 2:
Download

- XEVANX

Introduction // Green Rage - Disinfect 7"

2009-11-17T22:34:00.000-08:00

After talking about the idea of starting a blog for some time, Evan and I finally decided to just go ahead and do it. We will be using this blog to post various out of print records by bands we enjoy. Everything from raw, satanic Black Metal to chugging Vegan Straight Edge Metalcore.. and whatever else we think deserves being put up.

If you for some reason don't want your bands music put up on here, or have a link where the posted records can still be purchased..please feel free to drop us a message. We're going to try our best to keep the stuff up on here out of print/obscure stuff...not just post easily available Southern Lord releases that came out within the past year.

...

To start things off, I've decided to upload Green Rage's classic 7", Disinfect. This is a prime example of pure cheese, coupled with COMPLETE RAGE, and I can't get enough of it. The opening track starts the record off perfectly with some open stringed, down tuned, one chord chug that seems to last for eternity. If you haven't punched a hole in your wall after the first thirty seconds, then something is wrong with you. "YOUR EVIL MAKES YOU WEAK. YOUR EVIL IS MY STRENGTH." Incredible.

From what I gather, this band was one of the earliest bands to come out of the elusive Syracuse, NY Vegan Straight Edge scene. The amount of mosh//horrible songwriting contained within this 7" is mind blowing. There truly is something special in the waters of Syracuse.

If you nerd out hard on mid 90s Vegan Straight Edge/Hardline-affiliated bands like I do....this will be right up your alley. If not...you'll probably scratch your head in confusion.

"CRAZED BY THE TOTAL DESTRUCTION. MOTHER EARTH IS NOT OUR WHORE." Beautiful.

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-xCHADx

PS: this rip was done by Russ-Dogg.