SUN CHILDREN SUN – ‘xxxSCSxNEWxYEARxGIGxxx’

Sun Children Sun are a Noise/Punk/Psychedelic collective from Japan, with lots of releases available for free on their Bandcamp page. This release is a live recording from a new year’s party, and it captures Sun Children Sun in what is likely their element. They blend Black Metal, Grindcore, Bit-Tune, Psychedelic and Punk Rock with insane bravado, creating a whacked out, Jam band passages of lightning fast, way fun madness. All kinds of vocal and gang vocal, Surf parts, Blast beats, weird breakdowns, Noise dirges, theramins(?), cowbells and Napalm Death covers. This stuff is super fun, totally wasted in very raw and lo-fi, and really unique. EVERYTHING IS SUX!!!! DRUGS ONLY SAVE US!!!!

Bandcamp

TWERPS – ‘I’M STUPID’

Twerps are a Hardcore/Punk band from Massachussetts, who play mad catchy, stompy and fun midpaced Hardcore with two step beats, rockin’ melodies and burly growl vocal, a juxtaposition that sounds awesome and urgent. Lo-fi and stripped down, totally drenched in simple melody, with raw but punchy production. They remind me of Dangus Tarkus, Dead Friends or Creem but more snotty and fun! Exactly the kind of garage-sound Punk I’m always ready to hear, hugely recommended.

Bandcamp

STREET SECTS – ‘THE MORNING AFTER THE NIGHT WE RAPED DEATH’

Street Sects are a Digital Hardcore/Noise group from Texas. The three tracks on ‘The Morning After The Night We Raped Death’ broach Electronics, Noisecore, Atari Teenage Riot style Digital Hardcore and weird pulsing Dance beats, with lots of screaming/shriek vocal, blending these sounds into an assaulting, intriguing palette. There’s a certain Industrial flavour in here too, and Street Sects aren’t afraid to slow everything down and crank up the eerie ambiance also, making this short release varied and interesting, and short enough to warrant repeat listens. This stuff also reminds me somewhat of Mutwawa in their approach to Science Fiction Dance beats and their sweaty, dank vibe. This will definitely appeal to fans of the above mentioned Mutwawa, A Beautiful Lotus, Girls Names or The Cryptic Yeast. If you dig the release you can pick up a copy of the 7″ on the Bandcamp page.

Bandcamp

CUSTODIAN – ‘FAULTS IN THE STRUCTURE’

Harsh Noise cassette release from Jon Engman’s Custodian. Two ‘tracks’ of Harsh Noise cut up and barrage. Truly dense but not without layers and textures, and with a certain Industrial influence also to be found in the occasional distorted rhythm patterns in breaks in the sound, which serve as a moment’s surface to air before plunging straight back into the static. Isolating, miserable and impenetrable. Both sides are under 7 minutes each, shifting focus from HNW endurance to blasting cut up misanthropy. Intriguing, violent and migraine inducing, and highly recommended.

Minimal Flesh Audio

ACTUARY / BASTARD NOISE SPLIT – ‘SKELETAL UNCERTAINTY’

The first Pro Noise release, a meeting of giants in the form of Actuary and Bastard Noise. The two Actuary tracks here are spacious, intricate tapestries of Drone and Harsh Noise, with interplay between police radio samples, low vibrating distortion, sonar echos and crackling, roaring Noise cut ups. There’s an emphasis on the journey and the stretch of time these sounds occupy, meaning that when the sounds erupt slowly into violent, groaning Noise explosion the impact is all the more great. Very atmospheric, intense and ponderous. The Bastard Noise track on this split is a reminder of The Skull’s true power; this single track trawls a wealth of sonic gold out from the darker recesses of subconscious Man(cruel). Extremely damaging blasts of squalling feedback are manipulated over minimalist droning backdrops, creating terrifying images in the mind’s eye. Echo laden vocal shriek/burl is intertwined into the throbbing Noise, creating yet more sonic intrigue, and the variety of sound here is breathtaking, considering we are talking about a single 15 minute track. ‘Incineration Prayer’ is up there with Bastard Noise’s greatest sound work, in my opinion. Both sides of the split compliment each other well, and both provoke repeat listens. Overall this release is entirely indispensable for Noise fans; a truly vivid and inspiring meeting of sounds and experimentation.

Pro Noise.01 / GK#155

GABARA – ‘20,000 TONS OF MINCE’

I will preface this review by saying I’m a die hard Kaiju movie fan, so this was always going to appeal to me, but being as it’s another project from hyperactive Gore wizard Andy Ringdahl and everything the dude does is great, maybe I’m not so biased. Gabara features Cody on Drums, also of the legendary Mince band LT. Dan, as well as the excellent Total Hipster Crusher and Abe Lincoln amongst others, so this isn’t one of Andy’s one man endeavors. Gabara plays city wasting Mincecore, with elements of Goregrind, lots of blast beats and super puke Godzilla shriek vocal. This Demo is 4 tracks in less than 3 minutes, so here’s hoping we get more of this Kaiju Mincing insanity. In all honesty what’s not to like? Nothin’. Go download it.

Bandcamp

REEKORRHOEA – ‘HUNG ON A MEATHOOK’

Another week, another release from Andy of Hyperemesis/Torched Lung/Intentional Vehicular Manslaughter/Selfish Beings and literally a billion other projects. Reekorrhoea is Drum Machine driven, Bassy MinceGore obsessed with Horror movies, for this release specifically The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, and with super low low vomit vocal. Very Punky and Lo Fi, as most of Andy’s recorded output is, but with a lot less Sludge and Crust in the mix, instead dealing in more traditional Gore fare. Again as with most of Andy’s stuff, the vibe on this tape is totally rancid, disgusting and stinky, like getting bodyslammed by a dump truck full of sewage. Rad. ‘Who will survive… and what will be left of them?’

Bandcamp

30XX – ‘GORE FUTURE’

30XX is a one man Gorenoise/Mince/Sci Fi project from the States. This stuff is very unique and strange, with Drums that sound inverse, echo driven broken low vocal, loads of Anime samples and driving, Punk/Mince structures, referred to as ‘CyberGore’.  Most of the tracks are mid paced, and there’s a weird, Alien Industrial vibe throughout. The samples also do add a great deal of atmosphere and mood to this release, as opposed to just getting in the way as samples occasionally do. This is the first 30XX release, and is their most primitive, malformed offering, and well worth checking out if your into Goregrind or Anime, or just want an alternative soundtrack for your next viewing of ‘AD. Police’ or ‘Wicked City’. Recommended!

GK#308 / Bandcamp

BATTALION SLAUGHTERED – ‘SUCCESSION WARFARE’

On their Bandcamp page Battalion Slaughtered refer to their sound as ‘Gore Grinding Bolt Throwing Annihilation’, and I’ll be damned if I can describe them any better. A head on collision between putrid, Mincing Gore and Bolt Thrower style stomping Death Metal, with Mecha warfare on the brain. Massive lumbering Autopsy riffs give way to slimy sounding Gore bridges, which in turn follow into double bass driven, mid paced Death Metal crush. The Guitar tone is somewhere between Entombed chainsaw buzz and Goregrind walls of slop, the Drums are surprisingly hard hitting and crisp, and the super low low vocal wraps it all up grossly. I believe this is another project of the maniac behind the also fantastic and weird 30XX, so if you dig that stuff check this out, but if you dig on old Death Metal or Gore you can’t really go wrong here.

Bandcamp

CELLGRAFT – ‘EXTERNAL HABITATION’

The definitive Cellgraft release. These three guys tore it up for about four years before splitting, championing their blistering Grindcore assault via free downloads. Their self titled Demo release is also excellent, and ‘Deception Schematic’ and the Cellgraft LP are also good, despite the diminished, more Death Metal production on those two. However, in my opinion ‘External Habitation’ is the Cellgraft high water mark. The Guitar sounds here are absolutely white hot, sounding literally like falling sheets of molten metal, and approach Harsh Noise in terms of both density and intensity, and the cacophonous Drumming and vocal vortex underpin the very lean song structures, which are kind of a mix between Death Metal-ish Assuck and stop on a dime Discordance Axis arrangements. What distinguishes Cellgraft from the above two bands, though, is the sheer damaging quality of the recording, which is something that Death-y Grindcore all too often lacks. I recently re-visited this record and was once again blown away by the ferocity Cellgraft mustered here; I would go so far as to say that this is one of the best Grindcore releases of the last decade. If you missed it, go get it!

Cellgraft Blogspot

PARFUMERIE – ‘TRANSMUNDANE AND UNPROFESSIONAL DELOCATION OF SUPERFLUOUS EXTREMETIES AND RARE TISSUES’

Parfumerie are a four piece Goregrind juggernaut from Canada, and a name you should start keeping your eye on because they have more releases on the horizon and this one’s totally killer! Parfumerie nail a toxic blend of classic Gore sounds; combining ‘Reek…’ era Carcass riffs and sloppy as hell Regurgitate D-Beat grooves with a very authentic old school Hardcore Punk/Grindcore mentality, all slathered with utterly vile, yet crisp, pitch shifted vocal roar. Other obvious musical cues are taken from old Napalm Death, Bodies Lay Broken, Dead Infection and many others, yet Parfumerie never really drift into pastiche or re-hash, making these sounds firmly their own. They have a split EP release due with the mighty and legendary Patisserie, which will be notable for being the first Patisserie release with live Drums, being performed by Parfumerie Guitarist Joey, so download this one and get stoked on the forthcoming split! If it’s anything close to as good as this material It’ll totally rule.

Bandcamp

HEX – ‘I’ and ‘II’

 

HEX is one of the weirder sound projects available at Grindcore Karaoke, one i’ve listened to with some frequency and put off trying to write about because really I don’t know what to say. I’m reviewing both ‘I’ and ‘II’ because they work better back to back, and are pretty much sonically identical. The roughly 7 minute tracks here are made up of exclusively Droning tones and vibration. It’s creepy, very simplistic and occasionally quite one dimensional. There’s very little payoff or climax, and completely lacks that cathartic, rise-and-fall experience I enjoy in Harsh Noise or related sounds, but still I find myself liking this, and listening to it. There’s a certain spaced-out, ghostly ambiance that keeps both ‘I’ and ‘II’ intriguing. Maybe it’s a sign that my pretentiousness has reached critical mass, or maybe it’s that there is a payoff to be found here, and I’m not listening properly. Overall this is a frustrating, throbbing and minimalist listening experience, and certainly worth downloading for yourself. If you do download this, leave me a comment and tell me what you think I’m missing, or whether I need to get out more.

GK#319 / GK#320

CISTEMIZED VIO-LENCE / METASTASIS SPLIT

A split between two one man Grindcore/Gore/Mince projects from Canada. Cistemized Vio-lence plays a grotesque, lo-fi concoction of Crust, Mince and primitive Metal, their side of the tape being 5 tracks and a Totalitar cover. Stomping Mincing Crust jams with D Beats, flat out blasting Noise sections and groaning vocal that has an almost Black Metal vibe at times. There is also a certain Gory sensibility but it doesn’t override the raw, sloppy Celtic Frost/Metal sound here. Some of the tracks are clearly from different recording sessions, which can be irritating because the volume levels are different from track to track. The Metastasis side is more cohesive; their caustic, destructive Mince/Gore attack slams into your head like a flying vegan-leather jackboot. The Guitar has that super raw 4 track tape sound, and this combined with the Drum and Vocal stew creates a very Sludgy but still hammering 8 tracks. Thrashing Grind, Mincing stomp parts and some intricacy between the Guitar and Drums in terms of structure create a very enjoyable and at times catchy listen. The vocal also has that awesome ‘dude retching through a ham sandwich’ vibe which sounds great on this kind of slop. Overall this split is yet another testament to the strength of the Canadian Grindcore scene, and well worth your listening time!

Cistemized Viol-lence Bandcamp / Metastasis Bandcamp

 

KELLY CHURKO

Kelly Churko + Pain Jerk Live 2012

Lethal Firetrap – Kelly Churko + Guilty C. live 2012

‘NONSTILLNESS’ – Pro-Noise.20

‘MUTANT CIRCUITRY’ – Pro-Noise.19

Rest In Peace Kelly.

G.O.D. / HYPEREMESIS SPLIT 7″

A split between two current titans of underground Gore. Both bands are from Canada obviously, seeing as about 80% of all the good Grindcore seems to come from far up North these days. The G.O.D. tracks here are super dank, pummeling old school Punky Goregrind, with stompy sections, lots of Blastbeats, and triple threat vocal ranging from traditional Grindcore burls to super low lows. There’s a streak of Crust running through this stuff, with awesome Autopsy style riffs occasionally surfacing also, all creating a cohesive blend of rancid sounds. Awesome piledriving Gore in the vein of Regurgitate, Hemdale or Dead Infection. Unfortunately their side of the split isn’t available to download, but you should stream it until a download’s available or you can get your hands on a physical copy. The Hyperemesis side of the split is the most disgusting, vile material Andy has spewed forth; his Mince/Gore has become so fine tuned and rad as to be catchy and infectious. Seriously mauled Guitars sound like tar, unbelievable Snare abuse ringing out over everything and Gore retching vomit vocal so festering and perfect it’s unreal! There’s shrieking vocal on a couple of the tracks too, which makes for some nice variation, and there’s plenty of bouncy Mincing parts woven into the Gore whirlwind. Even though 2 of the 5 track here are covers, with a couple of the Hyp songs being re-records, this is easily one of the best sounding Hyperemesis releases and a really good place to jump on if your curious. An impressive match-up between two of the more important Gore bands of the moment. Massively recommended!

(Update – G.O.D. has now made their side of this split and most of their other releases available for free download, because they rule. Get into it!)

Hyperemesis Bandcamp / G.O.D. Bandcamp

CUCO – SELF TITLED

Cuco is a three piece from Buenos Aires, playing weird, blissful and echo drenched Noise Rock, with elements of Tribal, Indie and Doom thrown in. The songs hinge on driving, often poppy melody, sprawling echo sections and psychedelic Noise, and there’s a very Stoner Rock/Jam Band vibe to the whole release. Simultaneously dark, funny, aggressive and catchy is a formula for a good listening experience in my book. The record reminds me of the second White Denim album ‘Fits’ in it’s approached to whacked out, improvised heaviness, and even at times I hear elements of two piece Noise Rock era Suppression or Lightning Bolt. The release was mixed and mastered by Billy Anderson, which goes some way in explaining the Doom flavour running through this release like barbiturates in fine wine. An eclectic blend of sounds, held together well and played with bravado. Recommended!

Bandcamp

TETRAHYDROCANNIBAL – ‘PUTRESCENT WHIFFS FROM THE THRICE-USED DILDO BONG’

Second release of Sean Jenkins’s Bong Vocal Gorenoise project. THC addled rumbling Noise, Snare heavy Drum program assaults and of course lung punishing Bong rips, resulting in a bloated, delicious Noise hashcake. Way louder and noisier than the first Demo, totally random sounding and stupid, with weird porno/weed photography artwork. Completely devoid of structure or meaning beyond some kind of high-as-shit divination, this is like Gorenoise approached from some stoned Dadaist/Absurdist angle. Musical touchstones like Anal Birth, Urine Festival or Phyllomedusa are all appropriate. This stuff sounds almost completely improvised, hazy, repetitive and nauseating. Spliffs not riffs, indeed! Released on the LegsAkimbo Bandcamp. Also much love to Sean for my little thank you on the back of this repulsive release.

LegsAkimbo Bandcamp

CANNIBAL RITES DEMO

Cannibal Rites is a two piece band from the States playing super old school neanderthal Death Metal. Really sludgy Guitars, lots of sloppy groove played over primitive hammering Drums and dripping with guttural Vocal. There’s plenty of time changes here, with slower parts accenting grooves, and there’s a super stompy sound throughout. There’s obvious devoted influence taken from Autopsy, Grave, Bolt Thrower, Nuclear Death etc. in the kind of buzzing, filth drenched chainsaw Guitar sound and the general vibe of this throwback demo. This stuff will make you feel nostalgic for the first Death Metal you heard as a kid; even the name Cannibal Rites is just so heshed and perfect! I find I rarely hear Death Metal that does it for me, but this stuff is so primeval and raw I couldn’t help loving it! Taken from the NoVisibleScars Bandcamp page.

NoVisibleScars Bandcamp