BRÍI – ‘SEM PROPÓSITO’

Bríi is the work of Caio Lemos, also of the excellent project Kaatayra. ‘Sem Propósito’ spans two tracks, each clocking in at 28.12. Mesmerising, pulsing, velvety Trance/Techno electronic sequence rhythms and intensely psychedelic, flourishing melodic Black Metal born of clean and pristine tones yet layered in panning obfuscation, with unique Kraut Rock motorik rhythmic sections rife with pre Darkside Floyd influences – lulling somnambulist Trance and non-traditionally rhythmic, layered, quixotic Black Metal drenched with gorgeous spiraling melody, tremolo-summoned harmonies cascading over your consciousness. A somewhat indefinable yet entirely coherent constellation of beauteous and fearsome sounds, a cosmic womb of electronic cobalt Black Metal, lush spiritual forest rituals, shimmering Psytrance evokations… Crucial!

Bandcamp

SISSY SPACEK – ‘GORE JET’

‘Gore Jet 1’ to ‘Gore Jet 4’ foment dense over-driven drum machine Grindcore – in-the-red and destroyed, mid hammer Bass punk riffers with early Wadge sound and humming overdrive Noise haze, blasting hypersnare death, maniac vocal yelling and yelping, like noise rock or something but just smashed into unwieldy chunks of blast beats saturation, bass noise sub hoover/vaccum – then after the first four tracks, we enter free sampled Musique Concrete territory, half-rhythmic loops lumped together in ugly incongruous forms, bursts of mesmeric Harsh Noise, random re-appearance of drum machine blast beats, pattern-less blasts of squalling chained feedback, analogue detonations, digital sample defamations and junk metal abuses shuffled together with bound hands. Towards the end of the record we get some inert and interesting field recordings with a feral and lo-fi non-musical appearance, and are finally treated to a partially maligned and decontextualised live recording of The Gossip, an interesting change of tone to say the least, and a killer 6 minute Noisegrinding drum machine Spacek set from No Fun Fest. A very cool little CD, this one.

Bandcamp

BUTCHER IN THE FOG – ‘EXONERATE ME, BABY’

Anybody who’s spent time in any one of Camden’s many underground music venues will be no stranger to the name Butcher In The Fog. They’re often seen sharing the bill with stoner/doom bands, although to lump BITF in with the bongs-and-wizards crowd would be like trying to cram a square peg into a round hole without the application of butter to aid entry. Their third full-length builds upon the abrasive groundwork they laid with their previous two, venturing further into bad trip territory via speedy noise rock and hardcore influences with sporadic smirks of black metal riffage in among the punkish density. Tempos are running high almost throughout the record, though “Man Adrift” offers some room for us to catch our breath, starting off as a stompy bonecrusher riff before melting into the screaming psychedelic majesty of the guitar solo. Other stand-out cuts are creepy galloper “Russian Bride” and the nasty, flick-knife wielding punk-bop “Auditory Hallucinations”, but oh man, is this record sure consistent. Throat-shredding vocal cacophany; livid, metronomic drumming; growling sledgehammer bass, all raining down blow after mighty blow. This shit’ll loosen your teeth.

Bandcamp (full album releases July 3rd, 2021)

STRIATIONS – ‘COLLECTION 2’

Striation’s ‘Collection 2’ CD on Phage Tapes, collects a compilation track and an unreleased track with the 18 tracks that made up the phenomenally nasty ‘Trauma Code 2’ on Gutter Bloat. Burnt to a smoldering, sputtering crisp, human beings violented processed into mush beneath the contorting high speed metals, roaring engines and screaming rubber amidst scrap metal Noise explosions, piercing spear thrust of body impaled on the driveshaft – reminds me a lot of ‘Urge’ and ‘Flesh Biting Paedophile’, domineering Power Electronics design and intent with the pure, crackling, immutable energy of Harsh Noise, rendering either genre classification impossible in total, hyper violent and detailed Industrial littered with mutilated samples to disturb and condemn, prurient onlookers gasp and drool as the man on fire leaps from the wreckage and falls to rent, bloody pieces. Striation’s intensely horrible Musique Concrete is so evocative of the vehicular violence it portrays that you can practically smell the melting plastic and rendering fats. You will be unable to look away.

Phage Tapes

QUANGOU – ‘LAKESIDE VIEW’

I stumbled across this release from the recommended link on The End Commune’s Bandcamp compound, a strange and seemingly irregular crossover of intersecting art which I couldn’t have foreseen. I very much enjoy the Steebee Weebee Show, on which Steven Lee often speaks of his music, so I was delighted to have been prompted to finally check out his shit. It’s dope. Minimalist and melodious recorded-to-tape devotional Hip Hop productions with dusty musty loops, masterfully selected and sliced Jazz sampling with an extremely lulling nostalgic vibe, and Beasties influenced vocal presentation, Quangou’s lyrics describe his unique perspectives on faulty reality in blocky, mono delivery from behind a tape haze, he’s lyrical as fuck, vulnerable and real in his truthful expressions both absurd and grounding, dreamy and hazy. The marriage of Ill blocky old school bars and mesmerizing, hypnotic beats captured in analogue 4 track at times reminds me of Cise Starr ‘s appearances on master producer Nujabes’s tracks. Ill.

Bandcamp

BEAD – ‘DEPLOY TOMORROW’S RATIONS’

More bleak lo-fi Techno from outsider Bead. Cold, spacious tech loops with a swathe of ambient muffle and numbing quasi-melodies, slow method introversion weird noise palette, shifting and unknowable, sweaty and uncomfortable, very drugs experiential-oriented, heavy overloads of found sound and mutant sequencing. A long album with long tracks, Bead shows a lack of dancefloor appropriate production behaviors and instead opts for long form menacing Industrial-weathered alienation loops and stinging introverted Bass with lots of space between sounds, not un-danceable but not bothered either way, from what I’m guessing. Anti-social, disordered, inner-world headphones Techno. Very cool.

Bandcamp

TUNKIO – ‘WORLD OF MANIACS’ EP

Tunkio is a Grindcore two piece from Finland, featuring Urho from one-man nuclear meltdown Tolerance. Crusty Gory Grindcore from an industrial wasteland – nightmarish, blasting and noxious, splattering and sputtering in carbonising contaminated convulsion!  Putrefied mutant pitch shift vocal atop road warrior sounding Crustcore chords, with hyperblasting drums full of mincing and grooves, punk as fuck presentation and filthy non production, ultra lo-fi & DIY, aggressively and incensed at a world of, well, maniacs. As with Urho’s other affiliated projects, there’s only a couple teaser tracks to tease you here – check out MELTAAARGH!!!! / Bringer Of Gore Records and see if you can scoop a copy.

Bandcamp

DANGÜS TARKÜS – ‘ROCK’N’ROLL FOR THE PEOPLE’

Sugary Punk Rock n Roll from strange man-shape Dangus Tarkus, also of the excellent Nancy and The Muff Divers. Muffed up weirdo pervert Punk Rock Power Pop, tasty licks and kickin shits! Stripped back Rock N Roll goof ups, furiously odd outsider Joey Ramone Punk Rock. Reminds me of 80’s Ramones a lot. Excellently lo-fi non-production. The hooks are extra catchy, the tone is extra silly, bleary eyed wailin vocal, Garage rockin’, Power Poppin’ goodness. Snotty, sassy fun for freaks. What more can be said?

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CULT GRAVES DEMO ’18

Having listened to the four tracks that make up ‘Strange Customs’ about 100 times, I’ve worked my way backwards to Cult Grave’s sinister and brutal Death Metal demo from 2018 – a louder and clearer mix, and a heavier drum sound accent the more Grindcore elements of Cult Grave’s vile brutal Death Metal sound. A barbaric, blasting blur of Death Metal, with early Brutal Death Metal and slightly Doomy dynamics. Chaotic and violent. The vocals also have that blunt as fuck Grind approach with very little enunciation. Every bit as fucking excellent as the demo that followed it, just with a little less atmosphere and murk. I can’t wait to hear a full length from these animals.

Bandcamp