Andrew Kline Berthold City Q and A

In 2017 I heard Berthold City, seeing a flyer when I ordered from WAR Records, Miracle Drug 12". I had not realized it was Andrew Kline of Strife on Vocals. Stripped down Hardcore as opposed to the metallic inclination of Strife. Kline gathered some OGs of LAHC for this (Allegiance, Internal Affairs, One X Choice, Final Fight) . A full on nod to Gang Starr with the title and sample. Love this sound. They are coming next week with Kill Your Idols and Fireburn to NYC, Boston, and Philly. Andrew was super cool to talk with and was hyped on this. For good reason. It's killer. Pick up the 6 track EP here.

How long have you guys been a band? How did it all begin?

I started the band in late 2016. I’m always writing songs… I had a handful of songs that were more Youth Crew inspired, and a bit of a different style than either of my other bands. I got together with Adam (our drummer) and we spent a day in the studio working on the songs and tracking the drums for the demo. I played bass and all the guitars on the recording, and then went back a few months later started tracking the vocals.

Once the songs were finished I started putting the lineup together for the band. I have known Dennis McDonald for years since he played with one of my best friends, Corey Williams, in Internal Affairs. I have always been a fan of his energy and stage presence, and he was the first person I had in mind to join the band. Dennis knew John from his old band Allegiance and brought him into the mix… John brought in Devin.

Memorable shows?

Our first show was at Programme in Fullerton with Decline, Drug Control, and Dare… Programme has done so much for the Southern California hardcore scene in the last few years, so I feel like it was a perfect place to play our first show. I am singing for the first time with Berthold City, so it was a pretty unique experience.

We did a short run with Terror and Regulate at the end of December and that was a great run as well. We play San Francisco this weekend with Judge, and I am really looking forward to that.



Plans for 2018?

Our debut 7” comes out in April on WAR Records.  We are playing United Blood fest in Richmond, and we are doing a short East Coast run with Kill Your Idols and Fireburn to support the release. We have already started recording some new material, so hopefully we will have another release out by the end of the year. Aside from that, we just want to play as much as we can.



I see 3/6 songs are from the demo. Were they re-recorded for this EP?

We recorded all 6 songs from the EP in the same recording session. We wanted to release a demo before we did a record, and we really wanted to let the word of mouth about the band spread organically. We sold a few hundred cassettes, and the demo is the top seller in a few categories on Bandcamp including “Straight Edge” and “Youth Crew.” The response has been amazing, and I thank everyone for their support.

Side A will feature the three songs from the demo and side B will feature 3 new songs!



Recording: Producer? Duration? Process?

We recorded with my friend Aaron Jamili (Alpha Omega) at Wormhole Studio in Santa Clarita. He is a really good friend of mine and he was easy to work with and made the recording process painless.

We had the record mastered by the legendary Don Fury as his studio in upstate New York.

I always wanted to record with Don Fury as he is responsible for recording some of the most classic hardcore records of all time. I knew that he was doing a lot of mastering, so I reached out to him.  He did a great job, and added that extra little bit of energy into the tracks. We could have mastered the record elsewhere, but I really wanted to work with Don Fury as a little nod to some of the classic bands that inspired us.



New songs are killer. 

How does the vinyl look? WAR always does a sensational job. Plans of colors?

The record looks awesome! Our good friend, Jeremy Dean, who happens to be one of my favorite graphic designers, did the layout and design. He designed our logo and our first shirts, and I jokingly told him he was our Raymond Pettibon. I really want to keep the aesthetic of the band uniform, so I am really glad to be working with him again.

The first pressing will be on clear and translucent blue with a very limited hand stamped version available for preorders.

LISTEN

Wake Misery Rites Review

Wake

Misery Rites

Translation Loss

Out Feb 23 2018

Review by hutch

stream album at NOISEY 

Wake has been lingering in the background of larger bands for a while, continually astonishing grind fiends. Coming from Calgary, Alberta, Canada in 2010, Wake has released something each year (save 2015); including three LPs, one EP, and three split EPs. From the first release, the 2010 LP, Leeches, I was hooked. Almost all have been on separate labels, including respected mainstays such as Sentient Ruin and Give Praise. Here on Misery Rites, Translation Loss (on an amazing streak) presents a blistering example of how grandiose yet compact and succinct grindcore can be. Wake deliver atmospheric haze over the tightly produced material. Wake decimates with speed but also taut precision; adding chaotic elements that all synergize to a punishing product.

Guitarist, Rob LeChance, spearheads the writing and Wake’s direction. When handing Misery Rites to production, the band decided to streamline by having the album recorded, mixed, and mastered with Dave Otero at Flatline Audio (Khemmis, Primitive Man, Cobalt). This process, and a larger vision, has added to this band’s impactful canon. While Wake has proven repeatedly that they can crank out the relentless hammering of grind/death with stunning results. On Misery Rites, however, Wake grasps at more. The opener, touting lyrics, “the cycle starts”, prepares the listener and Misery Rites maintains a ravaging atmosphere until the seven minute closer. Having played the album on repeat in succession many times, I can vouch for the intended cycle of pacing. In between, Wake plants a treacherous mid-section of slightly longer tracks (“Paradigm Lost” at 3:38; “Exiled”, 2:49p); as they plod and stew and fester. Even the shorter blast-driven tracks writhe in a much heavier, stagnating, burdensome and miserable miasma. This salient vibe lends to Misery Rite’s cohesion.

Song titles definitely follow (or implement) a chronological flow to the album. Adding to the lyrics mentioned, referencing the “Cycle”; the death related journey ushers the listener with: Exhumation, Misery Rites, Embers, Rot, Paradigm Lost, Exiled, Rumination, Bitter Winter, Burial Ground. “Burial Ground” lays Misery Rites to rest in two parts. First, Wake gives us a black metal scorcher that speeds through with tragic implications. Then, a climactic proclamation stands, with slow rhythms, for the final four minutes. Ball’s declarations of regret, “I never change” echoes and repeats. The audience is dragged down, descending into filth, blackened loathing and madness. Josh Bueckert’s dynamic control on his drums is impressive here.

The grandiose appeal of the production, the low tuning, and the apocalyptic mastery all add to aiming higher in songwriting and fucking nailing it. In about 26 minutes. 7/9 tracks are 1:30 to 2:30. Blastbeats and thunderous fills from Bueckert on drums carry this monstrous album to victorious heights. “Embers” has a cool 10 second reprieve with a looming angular guitar string twitching in the middle, but mostly the track bangs away. Penultimate track, “Bitter Winter”, which leads to the meandering, foggy final, ends its duration with a minute of mid-paced pounding. But let me not relay a slower Wake. This album rips and tears with hammering riffs from Arjun Gill and LaChance under Kyle Ball’s commanding vocals.

Playing in headphones for over a month, Misery Rites has not grown weary. The one-two punch of the title track and “Embers” tantalize each play. Even after two hours of consecutive plays. It is impossible to not think of recent Napalm Death with music, production, and vocal delivery, but that is some reverent praise! This brutal gauntlet of riffs and beatings, Misery Rites should move Wake across the States and Canada (they tour 3.10.18 to 4.11.18) to pulverize welcoming eardrums.

RIYL: Napalm Death (especially last 4), Rotten Sound, Nasum, Lock Up, Kill The Client, Implore

PreOrder Vinyl

Jan 2018 Splits Reissues Compilations EPs

SHORT LIST

REPRESSES

Holy Terror Total Terror Box Set Dissonance Productions

Holy Terror Terror and Submission Back On Black BOBV512LP

Out Now

Holy Terror was a Los Angeles band that savagely represented thrash. Their two first albums are legendary. Submission (1987) and Mind Wars (1988) are heralded in the cannon of US thrash, although mostly to the passionate fans that dare to dig beyond the common names. But, that hunt just became easier. Dissonance Productions presents Total Terror which will be available to North American headbangers on February 9^th, 2018. Holy Terror’s entire catalog is on 5 CDs. Terror And Submission (1987), Mind Wars (1988), El Revengo (2006), live album Live Terror-Live In Dendermonde, plus a rare DVD featuring multiple live shows and videos. MetalReview.com called the band, "faster than Slayer, heavier than Exodus, and more melodic than Megadeth." Terror Submission comes on vinyl in white and red splatter.

The Ocean Precambrian Pelagic Records
Late Feb 2018

The Ocean's Precambrian was released in November 2007. An impressive post-metal trek, a la Neurosis, Converge, Gojira, and ISIS, The Ocean presented a challenging album packed with tense riffs, looming heaviness and angular guitars played concise and sharp. The schizophrenic dynamics of this milestone mock any attempt at classification beyond ‘metal’. Strapped with vocal conviction over chunky bass lines, Precambrian relies on intellect as much as grit. Seven albums deep, tours with peers like Mastodon, BTBAM, Opeth, and Kylesa show The Ocrean’s growth and impact. The Ocean refer to themselves as a “collective” leaning on a constant rotation of contributors and artists.

Precambrian cherishes the metal tech wizardry as much as raw emotion and delivery of hardcore.  Precambrian itself embodies variety with guest appearances by Caleb Scofield (Cave In, Old Man Gloom), Nate Newton (Converge), Tomas Hallbom (Breach), Eric Kalsbeek (ex-Textures), and musicians from the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. This tenth anniversary edition of Precambrian (released on March 16th, 2018) relishes in a re-recording of ten-minute "Rhyacian"; played by the current lineup of guitarist Robin Staps, vocalist Loic Rossetti, drummer Paul Seidel and bassist Mattias Hägerstrand.

To celebrate, The Ocean will play the entire Precambrian with a headlining set at Doom Over Leipzig Festival on April 21st, 2018.

Each of the three packages is limited to 250

LP1: ultraclear w/black and orange smoke; LP2: beer w/ dark red smoke; LP3: transparent orange w/ black and dark red smoke.

LP1: silver and clear, A-Side / B-Side w/ black splatter; LP2: brass & beer, A-Side / B-Side w/ black and red splatter; LP3: gold and clear orange, A-Side / B-Side w/ black & red splatter

LP1: beer in ultraclear; LP2: transparent orange in ultraclear; LP3: transparent red in ultraclear

Unearth The Oncoming Storm Metal Blade
Jan 26, 2018

Metal Blade Records will re-issue The Oncoming Storm. This was the album that propelled Unearth into the forefront of the resurgence of American metal. As the band’s (and the scene’s) writing was growing beyond the formulaic (but still loved!) metalcore. This went beyond beatdown riffs to start a pit in a local venue. Metal was shedding its dirty word status and embracing the dynamic song structures, melodies, solos, and musicianship of the records the hardcore kids had back home. Massachusetts sure spat a few out of note. Unearth have always kept it humble and honest. On The Oncoming Storm fans can revisit the classic sound that saw them transition into the revered beast of later days.

VINYL: 180g black; orange-brown marbled, 300; "flame" splattered, 200; pumpkin orange marbled, 300; root beer marbled vinyl; 300; gold / black split, 700.

ALESTORM Captain Morgan`s Revenge – 10th Anniversary Edition Napalm Records
January 26, 2018

In 2008, Alestorm secured a large fan base with their mixing of storytelling and catchy metal. Sharp guitars and clean production and rowdy lyrics ensured waves of attention. Here, Captain Morgan`s Revenge is resurrected with “a fresh remix and remastering by original producer Lasse Lammert at his LSD studios plus rejuvenated artwork.” The Live At Summer Breeze bonus disc is included as well. Alestorm combine meaty riffs and raging rhythms with folktale aesthetics and symphonic metal grandiosity. Their tales are alluring when paired with punctuated production and mesmerizing guitar leads revisit the beginning of Alestorm!

Nebula

Let it Burn
Jan 26, 2018
400 on yellow transparent w/ multicolor splatter; also, black vinyl/ Digipak CD/ Digital

To The Center
Feb 16, 2018
400 on red transparent w/ multicolor splatter; also, black vinyl/ Digipak CD/ Digital

Dos EPs
Mar 02, 2018
400 on transparent w/ multicolor splatter; also, black vinyl/ Digipak CD/ Digital

In 1997, Nebula was spawned in Los Angeles when guitarist, Eddie Glass, and drummer, Ruben Romano, left Fu Manchu. Arguably, their final sound would not be much of a departure. But, in fact, audiences can hear the rise of the musicianship above just riffs. Romano and Glass revel in a freedom and exuberance that, whether roiling or simmering, allow each to mark their artistic territory. Capturing the essence of psych/stoner rock, this power trio (after recruiting bassist, Mark Abshire) encapsulate the volume and songwriting of Alice Cooper, Black Sabbath, and Hendrix; but also cite The MC5, The Stooges (check the cool strut of “I Need Somebody” on To the Center) and bands like TAD, Skin Yard, and Mudhoney. The unfettered expressionism resort in variety, such as laying back for seven minutes (“Fly On” on Dos EPs) as well as the reserved Hammond on “Smokin Woman” (Dos EPs). Nebula lead you through expanding your third eye (“Fields of Psilocybin” on To the Center) or trudging heavy riffs on “Dragon Eye” and “Devil’s Liquid” (both scorchers on Let It Burn). Nebula’s three releases here utilize the silky leads and fuzzy bass and raucous drums of stoner rock; plus instruments like the sitar, piano, and organ. They expand the impact of their songs with the usual psychedelic filtered effects; soaking in flange, delay, panning, reverb and wah-wah to lead an audience’s mental and aural attention. Each reissue presents the full album Dos EPs being the split and on gatefold (or 6 panel digipak on CD) plus two unreleased tracks. This is a gorgeous way to celebrate twenty years of Nebula.

SPLITS

Windhand/Satans Satyrs split 12” Relapse Records
Feb 16, 2018

Richmond, VA present two of their macabre darlings. Windhand resurface after the glorious 2015 LP, Grief’s Infernal Flower. Clayton Burgess’ brainchild, Satan’s Satyrs, have not released anything since 2015 either. This 12” positions its balance on Satan’s Satyrs’ raw riffs and gusto with Windhand’s musicality and challenging of paradigms. The five tracks demand a 12” format. Windhand, always prolonging their heavy psych-doom, open with “Old Evil” at six minutes. Afterwards, the extensive, 14 minute (ain’t nothing new for them) “Three Sisters” is unleashed. Dorthia Cottrell’s vocals are pushed more forward than usual, above the swirling dense tones; drenched in emotionally draining hooks, hammered slowly. The heavy droning riffs are coupled with a haunting organ, riding slow waves of plodding drums.

If lulled by Windhand, Satan’s Satyrs side is a jolting slap. While still sinister and ominous, Satan’s Satyrs uses rambunctious rhythms and raucous ‘70s riffs. This is big volume contained under four minutes. The closer, “Ain’t That Lovin’ You, Baby”, is a stripped down rocker, echoing the opener “Alucard AD 2018”, with its glam-inspired strut, The mid jam, “Succubus”, is darker depending on atmosphere and a gritty tension.

VINYL: 2500 on black; 400, metallic gold; 300, baby pink with mustard; 300, bone white and purple splatter; 100, black and metallic gold merge with white and gold splatter.

Endorphins Lost / Osk split 7" Rotten To The Core Records/ Delusions Of Terror Records/ Agromosh Records/ You All Die Records/ New Age Pyrate Punks Records
Feb 1, 2018

Seattle’s Endorphins Lost captivated fans with their punishing grindcore just over a year ago, in November 2016. A caustic debut, Choose Your Way, on Six Weeks Records, portrayed Endorphins Lost’s version of old school crusty powerviolence. Done with bombastic, crisp production, this fevered punk is served again with four new tracks on this split 7” EP. Spanning from 12 to 90 seconds, Endorphins Lost kill tracks in the vein of Napalm Death, Spazz, Despise You, and Phobia. “Mercy for One” is a beast and its fits of rage into a slowed down thick groove breakdown is explosive. This is grind or powerviolence whatever to perfection. The sound and unrelenting power is one of the best of recent years.

Canadian grind/hardcore band, OSK, add three crushing tracks. The vocals are more abrasive. OSK fly through minute and a half long spurts with some contagious fervor. “Let’s Play A House Show” adds a slight groove to its crunch. All three songs are handled with a pummeling low end, emphasized by big punches from the bass drum. Tough as nails stuff here.

Fistula Splits with –(16)- + Come To Grief Patac Records
Out now

Fistula / Come To Grief split: Ooof. Come To Grief’s “Take Me in My Sleep” is six minutes of bludgeoning, low-tuned, sluggish despair. Jon Hebert’s raspy growls relay the song title’s desperation. This is not a frantic, sweaty desperation, but one profusely embedded in hopelessness and defeat. “Take Me in My Sleep” is a brutally miserable onslaught of loathsome attrition; chiseling at faith in restitution. Fistula follows CTG’s pace with their track, dragging in at six minutes as well. “There is no hope, there is no reason why – we should go on – we should not die” are the lyrics sung by frontman, Dan Harrington. Fistula distinguish their imprint by sectioning their duration. At two minutes, the riff changes slightly in tone and tempo but not pace. The growls still spew vitriol at “fakes and liars, hypocrites”. Then at 3:25, a distinct crisp groove enters the picture; with a –(16)- or even Helmet or Fudge Tunnel (Creep Diets) type stomp. Heavy as hell and twisted and misanthropic. Bad ass song of fetid fury.

150 copies of silver metallic cassette; 100, Clear Vinyl; 150, Transparent Red/Black Smoke Vinyl (PATAC exclusive); 250, Black Vinyl

-(16)- / Fistula split: Here –(16)- grabs a classic Killing Joke track from their debut LP and extracts the spirits but churns the track with its own imprint. –(16)- utilizes their sludge stamp but highlights the melodic guitar line for contrast against the driving, fuzzy bass “Complication” becomes darker and more sinister than its parent song. Fistula hone in on Devo’s punk pith for their cover of “Mongoloid” and nail it. “Mongoloid” fits Fistula’s oeuvre all too well. And they conjure the inner spite while eschewing any pop or electronic elements. Heavy reverb bass and down tuned riffs, strengthened by Harrington’s screams shape the ugliest beauty. “Mongoloid” becomes a tarnished, twisted track of rocking punk. 

100x Clear Vinyl; 150x Aqua Vinyl (PATAC exclusive); 250x Black Vinyl

“Fistula will unveil four more splits with Hemdale, Bloodsick, Fister, and one final band to be announced at a later date. Additionally, the band will issue a vinyl version of 2016’s Longing For Infection with a bonus etched seven-inch from the recording session.”

https://www.patacrecords.com/

Iron Reagan / Gatecreeper split LP Relapse Records
March 2 2018

Stomping into 2018, Relapse Records give the world two raging bands on one slab of wax. Iron Reagan’s scalding crossover and Gatecreeper’s punishing death metal have impressed fans globally. Relapse Records cemented classic status by having the two bands attend the same studio, the lauded GodCity with Kurt Ballou producing. Both bands are hitting the road with one off shows and fests immediately in January 2018. Relapse posted a track from each on YouTube: Iron Reagan’s two minute “Paper Shredder” is one of their five tracks on side A; Gatecreeper’s “War Has Begun” is one of their three which pummels eardrums for four minutes. Unique shirts with both bands logo and the artwork are available in black or white. Available on CD and vinyl: 100 on bone white and blood red merge with black splatter; 300 on bone white with blood red + black splatter; also, black vinyl. 

EPs

Flytraps Outro Records
Out Now

The Flytraps have been a quartet of all female, with a surfier, reverb sound. Now, with three ladies and a dude, the band is darker and faster and more straight-up garage punk. Whatever the formula and combination, this new 7” captures their snarling swagger with three punchy tracks. The L.A. quartet gives us “All Talk”; “He's Been Around” - a fast-paced, jangly lo-fi classic- and “Doin' It Right”. The Flytraps play dense garage punk rock with slithering female vocals and attitude that flaunts meandering bass, tight guitar licks, and rugged drums. 100 on red vinyl; rest on black.

Hell Bent Demo EP (Cassette) Self-release
Jan 12, 2018

Rhode Island’s Hell Bent spews three-ish minute tracks that combine searing elements of thrash, d-beat, crossover, and hardcore – if you need a label beyond “whoah”. Hell Bent boasts the menacing vocals of long time screamer, Aaron Badger, of Straight To Hell, Ulcer, and Paindriver. Other members have spent time in Dropdead and Neon Bitches. This demo was released last year on a very limited cassette version aside from digitally. Kicking off the New Year proper, they are repressing with a more expanded run on cassette.

Hell Bent execute furious, dark metal. Six tracks here exhibit speed-driven riffs with catchy time changes and powerful bass. The brash guitars and pounding drums push and push behind the experienced lungs of Badger. “Yeast” is a blistering opener. These are hardcore thrash songs with taut riffs and more dynamic parts in the songwriting; blazing tracks anchored by breakdowns for the pit. “Bastard Curse of Abraham” starts with a slower, trudging pace which gains momentum, then ebbs into the mid-tempo, building the anticipation. After 90 seconds the final minute, spazzes forward again with tight thrash riffs. Rest of the demo has infectious, energizing tracks that move into dark, down-tuned thrash. See these dudes live if you get the chance. Killer honest metal/hardcore with a voracious hunger. And the bite to match

Silver print on black cassette, deluxe edition comes with an embroidered patch and sticker.

Pissed Regardless Feed the Birds Creator Destructor Records *(Earsplit PR)
February 16th, 2018

San Diego-based thrash purveyors, Pissed Regardless, are releasing their dark, negative take on hardcore based crossover. Feed The Birds is thick and powerful. The condemning ferocity of the vocals match the brutal music. Incensed vocals and frenzied drum patterns switch on dimes to bring pulsating respits and breakdowns (bordering on grind at times). Heavy riffs accompany slick chops and relentless double bass drums bellowing disdain for a rotten world. Pissed Regardless call to influences like 90’s Earache and 80’s NYHC to currents like SSS, Ramming Speed, and This Is Hell. Again, heavy.

Gnaw Bone Scorched Earth Auris Apothecary
January 15^th, 2018

Indiana’s malevolent trio create treachery and devastation with a new four track EP. Their names and duties are recorded simply as B, Rhythm & Voice; R, Thunder & Voice; S, Noise & Voice; the mysterious aspect adding to the chaotic atmosphere of their blackened doom sludge. Enmity and sadism are instruments as much as any guitar. Four to six minutes each, tracks like “The End” (which begins the EP) revel in noise and sonic abstraction. Thick and pounding, the EP conjures spiteful snarling and disdainful cynicism. Limited edition vinyl is on ultra-heavy 180 gram vinyl, on crystal clear transparent vinyl, a double-sided insert, and a heavyweight 24pt jacket. Deluxe edition includes crushed bones pressed into the wax. *Includes digital download

COMPILATIONS

Americas Hardcore Vol 4 Triple B Records

Ships Jan 26, 2018

Continuing its beloved series, Triple B – who had a spectacular 2017 – deliver Volume 4. This installment visits us with upstarts, Brother (New Bedford, MA) – Negative Approach-style female fronted hardcore with new bassist, George Radford (She Rides, F.I., Dropdead); Krimewatch, old school, abrasive, punky hardcore with a mix of NYC and Japanese members and lyrics (3/4 female as well); Line Of Sight, DC SXE revival with mosh friendly two step rhythms and ferocious guitars; Glory, infectious Boston Youth Crew Hardcore; Pure Disgust, punishing DC thrash; the metallic frenzy of Primal Rite (LP coming on Revelation 2018); Free, new track after their stellar 2017 7” of eclectic influences; and big wigs like hardcore super group NYHC style, World Be Free and Baltimore’s titans, Trapped Under Ice. 

“Each band also designed and submitted their own pages for a 20-page, 12" x 12" insert booklet included with each record. LP includes digital download. These will ship in January. All copies come with a free immediate download.”

Aqua Blue, 700; Purple with White Swirl, 500; Red White Blue Tri-Stripe, 300.

85 incredible metal albums of 2017

METAL: 

Fucking hell. It was a ridiculous for metal and all its hyphenated, nerd arguing, split genres.  This is no order. And i didn't want to split hairs in comparing genres - but then did not want to pick 5 from each.... Basically this is 100 awesome metal albums of 2017. maybe more. i lost count.

I even broke up the spoitfy lists: Part A and Part B

NOTE: if forced to choose a top 10 or 50, I’d have to whittle down and that would leave some great shit out. Also – I am not a musician – sometimes ‘best’ to me means impact and energy; not technical proficiency.

DIRTY BLACK N ROLL:  8

Craven Idol The Shackels of Mammon Dark Descent (next level noise evil gritty metal)

Malleus Storm of Witchcraft Blood Harvest - Boston madness! Probably my #3 of the year.

Midnight Sweet Death and Ecstasy Hells Headbangers -  little different, slower songs, still amazing

Goatwhore Vengeful Ascension Metal Blade - another banger from them! Just flawless

Tombstalker Chaotic Devotion Boris 7” - only wish there was more. Black metal foundation with Thrash Rock – well produced. could be my #2!

Implore Subjugate Century Media - drums are like if Jerrys Kids played satanic metal. Caustic delivery, BM riffs.

Moral Void Deprive Translation Loss - straight forward, no frills. Stripped down brutal ugly metal. Fast as fuck. Songs like “Bereft” and “Dust”: clear black metal, but its thicker and more captivating to me

Wormwitch Strike Mortal Soil Prosthetic – again just such a great blend of styles. Punches hard

THRASH – Dbeat and Misc...whatever i can't keep up with all these distinctions: 10

Kreator Gods of Violence Nuclear Blast *brutal from the best

Power Trip Nightmare Logic Daymare - #1 with Loudwire, MetalSucks Readers + Writers, BangerTV Viewers; #37 Decibel – below Converge, Integrity and some others. I have loved these dudes from day one. Cuz i love hardcore and metal and all in between.

Iron Reagan Crossover Ministry Relapse – infectious and energetic after many listens – simple formula that works. Momre hardcore than thrash. Took a friend who hadn't heard them yet. He's 43 and said "this is the new DRI! This is perfect." I prefer this to new MW.

Lurking Fear Out of the Voiceless Grave Century Media played this frequently. Swedish supergroup (holy fucking line up) that grabs its opportunities and nails it.

Vallenfyre Fear Those Who Fear Him Century Media side project get d-beat/swede Death fusion – loved it all year.

Blood Feast The Future State of Wicked dirty underground – blackened thrash stood out to me Love this album after repeated listens

All Out War Give Us Extinction Organized Records - Decades ago, hardcore guys unabashedly made a Slayer record. No one matched their ferocity. They are back. Classic line up delivers best LP in years.

Wilderness Dream Paralysis Rise Creator Destructor -  raw sludge USDM with vocals llike Human Fuirnmace of RIngworm - i listen to this a lot. Great band.  2-3 min songs. Probably one of my favorties, i just know it is not technically superb or whatever. But actually it is rather fucking sick! Good hardcore feel like Ringworm or All Out War.

HON MEN: 

Odious Icon Planet of Immense Decay Negative Vibe - new thrash but not too clean, little darker smoking tracks. I love the tuning and tone. Just uh, again, not ground breaking. Maybe it's not thrqash and I want it to be more thrash. It's not polished enough or guitar focused to be 'pure thrash' which IS WHY I LIKE IT. Still worth a listen or five. @ - 3.5 min songs and a heavy hardcore sound, just with death metal vocals.

Havok Conformicide Century Media - little choppy for me – but when the go forward, they do it well. Been a band I liked for awhile

Warbringer Woe to the Vanquished Napalm

Witchery I Am Legion Century Media -- very like a Skeletonwitch – just blends thrash and black metal so well.  Produced clean and fierce.

DOOM:  14

With the Dead From Love Rise Above - droned out cavernous despair, Lee Dorrian‘s nihilistic perfection. Triumphant!

Spirit Adrift Curse of Conception 20 Buck Spin - glorious. Better than Pallbearer to me. Clean Vocals; spot on 70s riffs with crafted intentional doom

Loss Horizonless Profound Lore - painstakingly slow – but gorgeous. Epitome of melancholic funeral doom

Paradise Lost Medusa Nuclear Blast - back. True doom, growled lyrics. Continue their upswing of the last few years.

Beast Maker Inside the Skull Rise Above - from the look to the hook; riffs and lyrics and aesthetic make this one the best records in years on a stellar label. 

DOOM Hon Men:

Demon Eye Lies and Prophecies Soulseller Records - NC's finest hit the target with their third brilliant LP.

Elder Reflections of a Floating World Stickman 4x 11 min songs then 2 9 min. Crafte dwell – great rhythms and guitars. Bluesy at times – like early Graveyard… Lots of layers of sounds. Smart men

Bell Witch Mirror Reaper – always liked these dudes – and now a 83 minute one track. Epic (a duo) – with drummer/vox guy died – Adrian Guerra and got a new, first time drum/vox guy Jesse Shreibman

Temple of Void Lords of Death Shadow Kingdom - monolithic plodding but death metal riffs

Unearthly Trance Stalking the Ghost Relapse - another staggering return.

Northless Last Bastion of Cowardice

Tongues Hreilia I, Voidhanger Records

Omotai A Ruined Oak Ruined Carnage - AZ trio of dirgy punk-doom; rebellious, smart, weighty

Ditch and The Delta Hives in Decline Battleground Records – killer sludge doom – about to tour w/ 

Conan

DEATH:   12

Cannibal Corpse Black Before Red Metal Blade - a fuckin monster. thank you, CC

Necrot Blood Offerings Tankcrimes - yep. nailed it. Dark and evil.

Acephalix Decreation 20 Buck Spin - another great one from all these Necrot and Vastum related people.

Dying Fetus Wrong One to Fuck With - Relapse Nasty. Powerful. Genre defining; heavy but clean production with the weird guitars (not a musician but that high pitched noodling)

Obituary s/t Relapse - mid-paced, hardcore like - and fucking great. Listen to it a bunch.

Exhumed Death Revenge Relapse *Concept album of drunken serial murders. Great LP

Cannabis Corpse Left Hand Pass Season of Mist - call them a joke or whatever. But as ecibel review said - other bands lauded as genius rehash (pun intended) subjects of war or Satan again and again. SO their thing is weed. The music is bonkers.

Incantation Profane Nexus Relapse - just a personal favorite. so grimt, just down and dirty death metal. More on thick riffs and loos production than tech wonder.

DEATH Honorable Mentions:

Decapitated Anticult Mystic *tops Blood Mantra, killer record overshadowed by horrific claims - now vindicated.

Extremity Extremely Fucking Dead 20 Buck Spin 3 chicks & a dude; member of Vastum (Shelby); Swedish style. 

Entrails World Inferno Metal Blade  - down to the logo, this is intentional Entombed worship – handled flawlessly. (Gruesome: Death / Entrails: Entombed)

Black Dahlia Murder Nightbringers Metal Blade – Death Metal that the HC kids love

GRIND:   6

Haemorrhage We are Gore Relapse - From Japan. Been around awhile but this is their most realized release.

Friendship Hatred Southern Lord - scary shit from Japan

Expulsion Nightmare Future Relapse *literally Exhumed Matt Harvey + Repulsion Matt Olivo. Add Danny Walker of Exhumed, Intronaut, and Phobia. Damn find grind.

Phobia Lifeless God Willowtip - classic road dawgs snuck in the under radar to gift us this gem

Lock-Up Demonization Lifeless  - All Star line up (Nicholas barker, drums, Shane Napalm, Kevin Sharp – brutal Truth, VC) this is when Death/grind gets fun and invigorating. Angry and political. Big death metal stomps and breakdowns.

HON MEN:

Complete Failure Crossburner Season of Mist - sludgy dark spazz grindcore. Nasty

SLUDGEY/NOISE: 5

Ledge Cold Hard Concrete Translation Loss - Heavy Chicago shit, tough plodding like Harms Way – dude from Spine/Weekend Nachos – doom/industrial hardcore. Heavy and ugly and depressing suicidal shit.

Primitive Man Caustic Relapse. Sometimes I am in the mood – sometimes it’s unlistenable. Ugliest doom out there.  Misanthropic

Iron Monkey 9-13 Relapse - reconstituted with new/old members as a trio – but captures the spirit and sound. Gnarly.

Livid Beneath Shroud The Earth Erodes Prosthetic - oomph. slow as molasses. and fucking good.

HON MEN:

Rig Time! War Innerstrength - pretty much straight hardcore (like this year's great Left Behind) but they like Eyehategod too. Smart social lyrics.

Blackish:  Note the "ish" 5

Low Estate Covert Cult of Death Flenser – best new surprise for me. Chaotic metal + splashes of AmRep/NY noise. Unsane meets black metal; rough n tough and low-fi.

Cloak A Venomous Concept Season of Mist - this split a lot of people this year, but most endorsed and gave at least a 7/10. I enjoyed this immensely and they are getting big tours now. Well deserved on a well crafted album. Good production. Not first wave black metal, but not that symphonic shit. Thick riffs still played with well rounded production. But structure is often black with a classic metal feel. I like it much.

Chaos Moon Eschaton Memoire Blood Music/Fallen Empire - 6 - 10 minute tracks, produced not tinny but still with early black metal aesthetics. Grandiose atmosphere with muted production, i guess. Ebbing and flowing song structures. Dandy. Double bass insanity with high tones meandering - i have it as background music and i suddenly realize how depressed I feel.

Tombs The Grand Annihilation Metal Blade - another bomb ass record by these Brooklyn dudes. SO full. It takes many listens to appreciate, I feel they are one of those bands who set the bar so high early - that in their 4th and 5th LP you're like "yeah, of course it's awesome". But then you don't dive into it. I need to dive into this again.

Scour Red Housecore - I don't really know if the TRVE KVLT BM scene poo poo these cats as tourists - but i think it's amazing musicians killing black metal. Phil Anselmo [Vocals] (Ex-Pantera, Superjoint, Down, Arson Anthem), John Jarvis [Bass] (Fulgora, Pig Destroyer), Chase Fraser [Guitar] (Animosity, Continuum), Derek Engemann [Guitar] (Cattle Decapitation, Unmerciful, Covenance) and Adam Jarvis (Misery Index, Pig Destroyer) on drums. Jarvis is one of my favorite drummers. I think its big and focused and fucking dark.

SPLITS:  3

Livid/No Funeral Live Fast Die Recordings - ugly satanic doom

BLK OPS/Cave Bastard accident prone - black metal doom noise

Hands of Orlac/Wandering Midget Cruz Del Sur - 15 min doom songs but super good)

STONER ROCK: 4

Summoner Beyond the Realm of Light Magnetic Eye - dudes can write. Big bendy riffs with thundering delivery. Witness the madness. 4 - 6 minutes tracks with clean vocals mixed evenly. It ain't pop. It ain't Mastodon or Sword - but hella approachable. Solemn and heavy shit.

Here Lies Man Here Lies Man Riding Easy – riffs, fuzz; stoner rock with afro-beat rhythms. One of the most original albums this year. Thin Brown Sabbath doing original tunes.

Atomic Bitchwax Force Field Tee Pee Records Stoner Rock per se but done on hyperspeed in 2- 3 min songs. Killer riffs, guitars blazing leads, spaced out 70s jamming.

Duel Fears of the Dead Heavy Psych Sounds - dusty desert tunes for muscle cars and Harleys. Love it. One of my faves this year. More 70s rocking than others in this list. If Earthride didn't growl or tune as low at times; then they switch to boogie a la Trouble / The Skull. Dark and occulty.

Honorable mentions:  16

Integrity Howling… Relapse expanding their sound. Solid LP, love the addition of Dom Romeo. I loved it. Then I was bored. Some straight USBM stuff, some hardcore, then the slow and 'profounbd' spoken shit. Metallic. Felt like a collection of songs rather than one cohesive album. But ya know, divebombs.

Unsane Sterilize Southern Lord - what an album! great stuff. could use slight more variety - but still a crusher. This sits in this list more becauseit does not have peers, less than its quality.

Darkthrone Arctic Thunder - pretty good. I'd like better production. I like their classics of course. But I also love FOAD, Sardonic Wrath, Cult is Alive, Dark Thrones and Black Flags. I like variety and their experimenting. So with this, i just wish it packed more of a punch. But I will certainly throw it on.

Taake Kong Vinter Karisma - its hard to top Striden Hus

Pallbearer Heartless Profound Lore - a damn fine record. may be i am just have a stick in my craw over the hipster hype. But i also get kind of bored. and it's super polished music and clean singing. Again, i am not a musician so maybe i miss the genius.

Ufomammut 8 + Godlike Snake Neurot – Italian doom guys; psych mind expanders. Samples, electro, noise static and riffs. I know it's amazing but after 7 LPs of this (and EPS) you have to be in the right space. And again. more elctro shit in this one. Still brilliant.

Rope Sect Personae Ingratae + Proselytes Caligari Records / Iron Bonehead – dark, macabre rock

Godflesh post self Avalanche - I loved the return last year with Lit - but i just didn't get tiime for this. Still growing on me.

Sepultura Machine Messiah Nuclear Blast - best Derek Green yet; trashy, gnarly. I just wish they would just change their fucking name. But Machine Messiah is a great album. I definitely appreciate the cerebral lyrical shit; I liked A-Lex and Dante concepts. This is cool too. Often i just want them to play faster - like it needs to move forward, sometimes they reside in the stale bounce too frequently ("Alathea"). But i do like the layered percussion on "Resistant Parasites". Andreas and Paulo still kill. New kid on drums is nasty. Green's voice is commanding.

Cavalera Conspiracy Psychotic Napalm surprisingly good – old tight chaotic thrash – better than average – better than expected still a 3/5. Max's lyrics are still that of a ten year old tho. I love him in Sepultura - never git into SOulfly - i liked Nailbomb - i liked last CC and this one.

Converge The Dusk In Us Epitaph - meh, another genre challenging, boundary pushed milestone. meh.

Full of Hell Trumpeting Ecstasy Profound Lore - aggressive. and different. sometimes just too abrasive for me. And i was on that early bandwagon, i ain't fronting. It's good as fuck.

Old Iron Lupus Metallorum Good To Die Records - Bad Ass sludge. Really good, just not ground breaking

Belphegor Totenritual Nuclear Blast -  Love these guys. Back again. satanic thick Blackened Death Metal; super fast drums with staccato plodding riffs on the opener. Then others are just thick USDM.

Shambles (Thailand) Primitive Death Trance Blood Harvest 

MISC:

Quicksand ? not for me... yawn... 25 years later and it's an indie shoegaze album. Best part of QS was the dense tension, the pressure  and frustration. I would not expect them to make  QS part III. Use a new name!

Electric Wizard Wizard Bloody Wizard Spinefarm  - fine 60s rock but decidedly average

Melvins A Walk with Death & Love Ipecac - I will always love the Melvins. Best part is if you don't like this one, next year will be another installment in their supreme legacy. Still rocking this as i work once in awhile. But doesn't grab my nuts. I'll try again and maybe change my opinion. Again - just did not give it enough time yet.

Harms Way Post Human Review

Harms Way

Post Human

Metal Blade

February 6, 2018

Review by hutch

Harms Way offer Post Human on February 6^th to redefine themselves yet again, this time on Metal Blade Records. Having only heard friends praise this band throughout the years, I was surprised to hear that some hardcore fans deride them due to some asinine adherence to strict definitions of hardcore. Really? 2018? Regardless, I am a fan and have been since day one. Harm’s Way began in 2007. 2008’s Imprisoned was comprised of short (:30 - :60) powerviolence tracks. Harms Way spent the next decade, pumping out a few EPs and 3 LPs on Organized Crime, Closed Casket Activities, and Deathwish Inc. Thought line up changes have ebbed and flowed; Bo Lueders on guitar, Chris Mills on drums, and James Pligge on vocals, have solidified Harms Way’s focus. Ten years witnessed these Chicago malcontents produce unique, aggressive music.

The first song on Post Human, “Human Carrying Capacity”, was released early as a single, on websites and Spotify. This is a familiar Harms Way track (read: sick as hell, heavy as fuck); bad ass breakdown hardcore with a drum machine in the background. After another bruiser, “Last Man”, we arrive at track three, “Temptation”. This is where we began to hear some variation. This is no Ceremony L Shaped Man (a killer record as well) direction; but the slower, quieter atmosphere adds tension and ambience as the bass line pushes the track into a chilling space. The distant vocals and dissonant guitar notes extract an unsettling uncertainty in the listener. The second half of the track returns to expected elements (thick riffs) and damages eardrums. Following “Temptation” is “Become a Machine” – the fastest track on the album and somehow the most robotic in the chorus. This tracks consists of sharp guitar squeals, which pan in the headphones to add momentum and energy. The 4/4 beat is a great hardcore rhythm for the verse before Harms Way enters a bridge that is double bass driven, more plotted.

The second single, “Call My Name”, allows us to see into this interpretation of using outside electronic elements. The beginning of the track uses bass drops and tonal fog before a repetitive groove takes over. Again, Harms Way utilizes these non-traditional hardcore instrumentations to set mood; to alleviate some of the intensity in between monster tracks and segments. “Unreality” has an undeniable groove. This is where maybe a Sepultura or VOD guitar sound manifests. Adding samples here doesn’t change the music, just varies its approach. While I would bet the band resents any slim genre classification, this is still angry hardcore to me.

With the electronics, Harms Way is not “experimenting” but confident in its growth. The time changes and dissection of guitars and drums to use certain instruments in sparse places, aids to the music. Like negative space in a photograph. The result is bulking up its power, guaranteeing impact. (This isn’t Fear Factory or Front 242. (I’m old).) As the albums winds down, “The Gift”, the penultimate song, is the only pure electronic track. Pulses and hisses and programmed drums linger while vocalist, Pligge, bellows. No guitars. It’s a cool track. To finish, “Dead Space” boasts a pounding, searing pace as Harms Way chugga chugga again and propel their enmity toward the finish line.

I still call Harms Way a hardcore band; albeit ‘metallic’ or whatever. Do they utilize a drum machine? Yep. But, I wouldn’t call them an industrial band by any stretch. This is brutal hardcore. The sound is designed to vent, to exorcise aggression and frustration. As Throwdown did in the late 90s; or Down My Throat and Arkangel did as well. Later, in the mid-2000s, we had Since the Flood, On Broken Wings, Black My Heart, Thick As Blood, etc. These bands lived to watch pit monsters decimate dance floors. Harms Way take those bands’ succinct breakdown formula and lace it with atmospheric extras. The variety is why Harms Way can be on stage before Soulfly, Every Time I Die, At The Gates, or Converge (as they have) and fucking slay crowds. Will Putney, a producer known for Stray From The Path, For Today, Vision Of Disorder, Thy Art Is Murder, Suburban Scum, Body Count, Acacia Strain, and others, grabbed the reigns here. Putney collaborated on some writing and extracted a dope record that guitarist, Bo Lueders, describes as a mix between previous releases, Rust and Isolation.

Lueders’ guitar work is on point; tight riffing (check “Sink”) and galloping riffs motivate the direcction. One would erroneously assume that utilizing a drum machine would make for simpler drum patterns. Not so. Drummer, Mills, remains the thunderous, pulsating foundation of this band’s sound. His vitality and pure power dictates the emotion and motion of the songs. And the dancefloor.

Expect Post Human to grab you with its dirge; that filthy, low tuned guitar tone. The grand, heavy drums balanced with chiming cymbal tweaks – and the drum machine pipe clangs! -  add depth. Props to Putney for his clean production. Equipped with rumbling bass and riding bass drums, the music lays a foundation for Pligge’s growling vocals. Add 808 drops and Post Human is akin to Loyal To The Grave, Sand, Nasty. But here we have a thinking man’s beatdown band. Pligge’s lyrics – with a title like Post Human – and a bigger platform like Metal Blade – delve into existentialism, technocracies, and self-realization. Pligge is wrestling with understanding pain’s placement in human existence. Crank this to ten and meditate while picking up change.

BUY SOME VINYL

RIYL: Ledge, Godflesh, Xibalba, Killing Joke, Voivod, Full Of Hell, Weekend Nachos, Downpresser

Squalus The Great Fish Review

Squalus

The Great Fish…

Translation Loss

Release 9.15.17

Review by hutch

First things first. Squalus is 4/5 of the band, Giant Squid. Giant Squid were self-proclaimed “prog” sludge metal. Those elements all remain here on The Great Fish... as Squalus paddle forward. Pertaining to the absent fifth member, Squalus does not fill the guitar slot. Rather, the band doubles up on bass guitars and rolls with keys and drums. From Giant Squid to the moniker of Squalus, a type of dogfish (sharks), these four chaps illustrate their fiery affection for the foreboding dangers of oceanic depths. The Great Fish... exhibits certain strengths while calling a niche audience to listen.

Upon first listen, the eschewing of six strings hones attention to the other instruments; especially the keys which protrude from each track. And when the word “keys” is utilized, the plural is intentional. There are synths and straight piano key sounds on deck. The odd configurations of rhythms and time signatures throughout elicit the prog-rock feel. But the execution illustrates a (deceptively) simpler, more direct instrumentation which conjures eclectic influences. While most likely not an influence, the Florida swamp sideshow orchestra, Viva Le Vox, comes to mind with The Great Fish... emanating a weirdly alluring circus vibe and a cautious bog of peril. Also, we hear some aspects of sonic schizophrenia akin to Faith No More; not in sound but approach. But the roots are filthy riffs of raw rock and roll.

Parts of The Great Fish… evoke Giant Squid’s Minoans but instead of gentle tangents we get quirky. Again the foundation definitely harnesses sludge elements. But the piano – while most doom or garage bands striving for an eerie sound would defer to a traditional Hammond B3 sound – this cleaner piano sound (still probably on a synth) adds a macabre atmosphere. “Eating Machine in the Pond” distinctly pulls from the churning dark synth reverb (layered with the normal piano) of John Carpenter as it births a pummeling rhythm section; grinding, bellowing.

Instead of squealing guitar leads, the keys reel and spit. “The USS Indianapolis”, although it started out with funky jazz diversion, almost calming, certainly hypnotic, eventually dives deep into the fathoms of torment. The beginning is Smooth and perky – and then the, well, squall crashes into the track with big movements. Noise and confusion drown the listener in a barrage of low end splendor.  

The successive openers – “The Great Fish” and “Flesh Bone and Rubber” – are engaging and promising. Gnarly, jangly bass riffs and provocative drums charge along with growling vocals. The quick (under 3 minutes) duration of “Town Meeting” swirls in a chaotic deluge. The repetition of chainsaw synths, banging; ripple out with early Murder City Devils type rock and roll.

If you have not pieced it all together from the song titles, The Great Fish… is about Spielberg’s 1975, JAWS. I would assume the lyrics are of “Town Meeting” are Quint’s proposal at the town meeting, screamed; especially since the track ends with the vocals stating the Mayor’s unsteady reply of the film. Tracks dedicated to the Cassie Taylor autopsy by Hooper, “Jack the Ripper” - a reference from the film to the English whore slayer, and other aspects of the film are exciting for any fan of the leviathan of summer blockbusters; when art and craft could be hooked to mainstream money maker, luring in thrill seekers and cinephiles.

“The Orca” proves that chaos is a fine instrument to wield. The cacophony and rage emanate from the track, relentlessly churning. A sweet 90 second melody on a piano ushers us into the lapping thumps of “Swim Charlie, Swim”. The bass line and synth wrestle for dominance. It’s a cool instrumental. 

Ultimately, for a doom/sludge/stoner/noise fan, The Great Fish… has to be compared with Akimbo’s Jersey Shore. It’s impossible not to do so. In 2010, Akimbo released a stellar noise rock album of 6 tracks about the 1916 bull shark which menaced New Jersey, killing four people. Matawan (July 12), Spring Heaven (July 6), and Beach Haven (July 1).

The Great Fish... doesn’t adhere that strictly to such a concept, more just singing related songs inspired by JAWS. There is not a three act structure or anything. But The Great Fish… is a fun romp, flailing and splashing; disturbing any notions of security like the opening scene of JAWS. A detractor, in my opinion, is that Squalus reiterate narration and quotes from JAWS instead of sampling. While most certainly a monetary decision, the replacement is distracting to me because with speeches or quotes from such a recognizable film, it is confusing to hear it spoken in a new voice, especially one recalling Billy Bob Thornton from Sling Blade.

The vinyl is fitting and damn gorgeous, boasting two choices of oceanic blue or blood splatter red on blue. The packaging is stellar with a cover of a painting by member, Aaron John Gregory, uncomfortably inspecting a close up of a great white. Again, this record is fun. And it is a concept album but it is not precisely chronological or regimented as a dramatic arc. Which is fine. It doesn’t try to be. It’s dirty metal fueled by adoration for a great film.

Translation Loss shop

Translation Loss site

RIYL: Brain Tentacles, Ahab, Akimbo, Intronaut, Maserati, John Carpenter, Goblin

Iron Monkey 913 review

Props for the Jerrys Kids shirt.

Iron Monkey

9-13

Relapse Records

Released Oct 20^th

Review by hutch

The term “cult band” is usually relegated for lesser known or underappreciated bands. With Iron Monkey, the term more likely is to denote their likelihood of spawning an actual cult. I’m not sure of their record sales but their reputation is revered. And their two albums are in regular rotation in on my turntable. Ain’t one aspect under appreciated. Iron Monkey cultivated disgusting and abhorrent sounds and attitude while still manifesting a groove. On par with Eyehategod, this UK trio repelled listener’s from 1994 until 1999. A band that channeled repulsion, seclusion, and nihilism could never be expected to function for too long. And then their singer passed in 2002.

Now it is 2017. Somehow, Satan’s ugliest children have found themselves spewing further music. Relapse Records released their third full length, 9-13. It stands with the classic two, self-titled, 1996, on Union Mill and Our Problem, 1998, on Earache. Staggeringly savage, riffs and growls perpetuate every insecurity in the listener. The members are listed simply and unimpressively as J - Vocals/Guitar, B – Drums, and S – Bass; recalling John Paul Morrow as “JPM - Rest In Noise”. 9-13 is a stellar tribute to JPM’s legacy. Jim Rushby and Steve Watson both were in prior iterations with others, Rushby in all, while drummer, Brigga (ex-Chaos UK), is new. But the sound is as killer here. There is no gap in synchronicity.

Rushby’s vocals are beyond growls, not low in tone like a guttural Death Metal band, but beyond growl in terms of delivery and audibility. Take “Toadcrucifier”. Rushby snarls like a spastic pitbull, reacting to a violation with a fevered unraveling. His vocal approach comes from a genuine disassociation with human kind. The feral evocation is the thread throughout 9-13. The songwriting is tops, production balancing the ugly with the execution. “Destroyer” driving riffs of the first section coupled with the fast charge of the middle relishes in deep focus and nasty tones. But we hear all instruments pushing and pushing.

There is a palpable rejuvenation between Rushby and Watson in these despondent harvests. While certainly skilled musicians, they keep it simple. And that’s where the honesty is allowed to shine. It is why I think hardcore fans can latch onto Iron Monkey’s qualities. They repugnant emotions of isolationism and self-destruction, the disgust with the world, the visceral trigger is worth more than any guitar solo or ethereal orchestration. Give me the sweaty clamor of basking in plodding snare hits and feedback of “The Rope” any day. Not saying it is all feeling, they sit and write songs. But they know when to ride a riff, a groove, an emotion – and simply let vocals spatter wretched noise. “Doomsday Impulse Multiplier” swoons and smashes as its twisted riffs deliver on its catastrophic tile promises.

9-13 is constructed of eight 4-5 minute romps with a 10 minute closer. The beginning of the album, 

“Crown of Electrodes”, “Omegamangler”, and the title track, “9-13” are all bruisers. So, let’s address the obvious. Detractors will say – shit, have said, on a youtube comment – “no Greaves, no Morrow, no Iron Monkey”. And I am a purist with some bands – believing certain bands should have just taken a new name (Sepultura, Misfits, and a thousand hardcore bands). Missing Greaves is a loss, in a nostalgic way. But Brigga kills it on 9-13. Justin Greaves, whose talents saw him in many bands; including, Borknagar live, Crippled Black Phoenix (still does), The Varukers (which is a precise parallel to Chaos UK) and most notably, Electric Wizard for three years. This perched Greaves to record on EW’s gnarliest (not best or most classic, but noisiest/ugliest), We Live. Steve Watson is back here, and played on IM’s first self-titled LP. The detraction may be in comparison that Iron Monkey recorded as a five piece for their two albums and the EP. Here they perform as a trio. I don’t hear an outcry for missing Doug Dalziel. He was on all three records. And hell, if you’re lamenting an absent drummer – you should really being lamenting his partner, the bassist. Watson moving over certainly delivers the essence of Iron Monkey. Rushby, however, has always been in the band, every iteration. As far as vocals, while missing Morrow is a punch to the gut, Rushby does his job. It doesn’t have that same black metal, goblin raspy slither; but Rushby has the same spirit, and certainly the toxic tenacity in his exasperated excoriating of mankind. And with all the years slinging axe for the band, he knows the approach that works and exceeds his duties. Shoes filled. Would Morrow have given the thumbs up? Only the band members know, not some sentimental fan.

buy some shit

RIYL: Fudge Tunnel, Grief, Church of Misery, Eyehategod. Weedeater/Bongzilla, Buzzoven, Unsane, if GG Allin made good music.

Malleus Interview Storm of Witchcraft

Malleus

Storm of Witchcraft

Blood Harvest

Interview by hutch

  

Boston’s Malleus self-released a tape in 2016. Blood Harvest now resurrects the ornery seven tracks and commits this vile violation to tape, CD, digital and, of course, vinyl, on October 25^th. Answering by email, The Hammer acknowledges an excitement of finally rereleasing Storms of Witchcraft. Blood Harvest has been great. We were actually pretty familiar with Rodrigo from his punk label Putrid Filth Conspiracy in the early 2000's. So when we made the connection that he was behind Blood Harvest as well, we were pretty psyched. Feel like he knows where we're coming from as far as our background and inspiration goes.”

Known professionally as The Hammer, the Malleus member reminisces about the origins of the mysterious Boston trio. “At that time, everyone we knew in the Boston punk scene was obsessed with Discharge and really raw D-Beat. So, all these uninspiring dis-clone bands started popping up everywhere which only fueled our discontent with the current state of punk. I was absolutely obsessed with the Satanic Rites tape (Hellhammer) and Discharge as well and decided that instead of just doing another boring D-Beat band, I'd take my obsessions in a different direction.”

That obsession spawned Storm of Witchcraft. “We spent a few years writing, really pouring over every little detail of the songs and trying to make the best possible demo we could.” The Hammer’s reluctance to spew retreads of worn paths has resulted in a classic release. Malleus’ sound embraces Discharge’s legacy of low-tuned sonic exuberance with crushing riffs which summon Hellhammer/Celtic Frost, and Bathory. The Hammer takes pride in this release. “A lot of time and effort went into making Storm of Witchcraft what it is.”

The sound is brutal; low and gritty, but mixed and mastered well. Clear, clamorous and, well, not shitty. Too many d-beat or black metal bands think crappy production is a hallmark. I hate that antithetical thinking. Be gnarly, be subversive – but still sound good. The production is thorough, elevating each component while keeping the music raw and crusty. Hammer reports, “We recorded with Chris Corry of Magic Circle at his practice space and we had our friend Ryan (Side Two Studios) do the final mixing and mastering. The whole thing took 2 days to record. We did the music on one day, vocals on the next. CC was recommended to us by a mutual friend and although we didn't know him personally at the time, we were familiar with him through growing up in the same circle of the local punk scene. We did know that CC was obsessed being able to emulate tone and capturing the same sound of bands from the past so we thought he'd be able to nail early Hellhammer/Frost, and we think he did with Storm of Witchcraft.  We wanted to avoid a lo-fi sounding demo at all costs but still come out with something that was abrasive, raw, and energetic. The music itself is super riff-driven and we try to vary the tempo as much as we can and all that would be completely lost if we decide to record this with one mic and a 4-track.”

The opener, “Winds of Wrath / Ire” aurally depicts a chilling wind, gathering intensity, leading to a panning of eerie sounds. This two minute seduction is quickly interrupted by a crashing of a grinding riff, punching and punching. The final minute of the “Ire” portion is a flogging mid-paced riff that pounds away. “Blackened Skies” begins harkening an epic, but quickly charges forward with purpose. A twisting, belligerent riff in the middle, for the chorus, is malevolent and bold. While many have emulated the aforementioned forefathers of black metal, Malleus has remarkable accuracy in combining homage and originality. In a genre where the majority of ideas are simply reworked executions of the masters, Malleus take the Discharge model and apply it to the Satanic ferocity of Bathory and Hellhammer. Again, even I grow weary of citing Tom G and Quorthon’s early work; pining to infuse a wider reference spectrum. But these just fit so perfectly. The music is invigorating in two ways. The pure spirit of the music but also the refreshing aspect of new takes on this style.

Hammer advises when looking to forefathers to be sure to inject one’s own fluid into the mix. And do it well. “Just keep the focus of the band very specific rather than drawing from all these various sub genres and convolute the sound and direction of the group. Nowadays, it's so easy for anyone with a computer to record their own demo and everyone needs instant gratification so instead of taking their time to create something worthwhile, they rush into making a demo and posting it on the Internet. Then they complain when it gets passed over and people move on to the next shitty demo.”

Besides the redundant riffs of d-beat clones, The Hammer also complains of uninspired metal lyrics of vapid party anthems. “I would hope that Storm of Witchcraft and anything else Malleus does evokes more emotion or provokes deeper thought than just wanting to party or get fucked up. If people can listen to our music and gain some sort of enjoyment or satisfaction from it, that's great. But for us, metal has always been more than the soundtrack to heavy drinking. As far as Storm of Witchcraft goes, It's obvious that we take direct cues from the likes of Quorthon and Tom Warrior for our sound but in the early 80's, bands basically had Overkill (Motorhead), Lightning to the Nations (Diamond Head), and Hear Nothing, See Nothing, Say Nothing (Discharge), and look what they came up with so what can we do with those records? And that's always been our approach. Just keep the focus of the band very specific rather than drawing from all these various sub genres and convolute the sound and direction of the group. Nowadays, it's so easy for anyone with a computer to record their own demo and everyone needs instant gratification so instead of taking their time to create something worthwhile, they rush into making a demo and posting it on the Internet. Then they complain when it gets passed over and people move on to the next shitty demo. A lot of time and effort went into making Storm of Witchcraft what it is.”

The Hammer reports Malleus’ plans to finally spread their unholy gospel. They are embarking on their first tour of the West Coast with Witchtrap from Colombia, whose 2015’s, Trap the Witch, is equally carnivorous. They join Hirax, Xoth, and Witchhaven for Seattle’s stacked Famine Fest, Day 1, Sept. 22^nd. Hammer continues, “We will support Merciless from Sweden on their only East Coast show in Brooklyn on October 20th with Antichrist Siege Machine. February 16th, (2018) we will be supporting Morbosidad and Blaspherian in Baltimore, MD.” Other shows aren’t booked, but Malleus is ready to mesmerize when they do. “We're going to continue to play anywhere people will have us. Hoping to get in the studio again by this fall/winter to record a couple tracks for a 7 inch.” 

The back to back tracks, “Demonology I” and “Demonology II” combine to last over nine minutes. Part I drags through its parts in a true Celtic Frost atmospheric sludge. Slow and ringing guitars set the pace. The thunder rhythm section dutifully obliges within a few minutes. We then are treated to a stomping bridge with a solid groove. Part II again delves into a long strain of feedback before a speed-fueled riff propelled by unrelenting drums. “The Wolf” follows the same pattern for its three minutes. “Act of Faith” is a slower, heavier jam. The Celtic Frost vibe resurfaces, that same tone and distinguished guitar sound CC extracted to emulate Tom G Warrior. The low end and bass drums weigh in, boasting a sinister gravity to the track. The imagery and lyrics all tie in with wolves and demons and faith.

Snarling all this demonic terminology, Malleus have a platform to share their views. The Hammer is concise and candid. Again, The Hammer eschews clichés and token references for an opportunity to expose his deeper beliefs. “True evil doesn't actually exist. All people are slaves to their needs and desires and only act in a way to satisfy them, even "good" people.  Altruistic people are motivated by innate feelings of empathy in which they feel pain when others suffer and feel good when others feel good. In the end, everyone is motivated by internal selfish desires. If evil was only used to describe actions that cause more harm than good, I could get behind it but too often evil is just a word used to describe others whose actions conflict with one's own. That being said, many groups such as Christians truly believe in evil so the word can be useful if you're trying to antagonize them.”

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Loyal Until Death interview for Remain Defiant

Loyal Until Death

Remain Defiant

1732 Records

LOYAL UNTIL DEATH:

Greg Lebeau – vocals; Nakia Romero – guitars/vocals; Lance Martin – drums

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Interview with Nakia Romero

Loyal Until Death. That’s a bold statement. It is honorable to be able to predict your bonds and values decades down the line. One listen to Remain Defiant and all will be convinced of this trio’s solidified convictions. Enmity is released with tsunami level impact. The dual vocal approach, heavy riffs and blistering drums secure that only the most vicious audience will relate. The Florida based band, which Nakia Romero, vocals/guitars, and Greg LeBeau, vocals, began in 2012, just added their new drummer, Lance Martin. Loyal Until Death brings their second full length, out now. The LP is a heavy, energetic, vital album.

The furious message starts with contempt. “Loyalty in anyone is extremely rare these days. People are really narcissistic these days.” That repulsion spawns the disgust in the opener, starting: “Remain! Defiant!” Fuck the law, fuck the system, fuck the church, fuck your religion.” As Romero’s growl continues, more superficial concepts are decried. As the album moves, the lyrics get deeper and more challenging. Each song has Greg LeBeau, with a screamier voice and condensed lyrical content, bandy with Romero’s lower vocals and succinct phrasing. Romero, handling guitars and bass along with vocals, as he did with their debut, Born of Violence, is a beast juggling his responsibilities well. This focused energy continually pushes and propels the frenetic pulse of Remain Defiant.

Fans of First Blood (especially), Hoods, Hatebreed, 100 Demons, Ramallah and Strife will find familiar ground. But coming from the South, metal definitely is an enormous influence. Romero cites death metal and Crowbar. Crowbar is also a visual inspiration. Romero tapped Eliran Kantor, who did Crowbar’s The Serpent Only Lies; and Hatebreed, Testament, Sodom, Hate Eternal. The Belgian artist paints vivid, saturated images of Roman war and decimated landscapes; illustrating emotion, gravity and depth not usually seen on a hardcore cover. Remain Defiant is on 1732 records, which Romero started just for this album. The transparent vinyl versions are a vibrant companion to the striking cover.

The music embedded in the wax is staggering as well. A continuous flow is present and captivating throughout the eleven tracks. Inspired by NYHC’s crushing weight mixed with bounce, Romero is proud of the organic and dynamic ability of the band to adapt the songs.  - hutch

1. First, I love the art work. (on Born of Violence too) It’s cool to see atypical subject matter on a hardcore record. Tell me about the specific painting and why you chose it.

I have ALWAYS been a fan of actual album cover artwork. You know, real sick oil paintings and things like that. I would just stare at them for hours on end. I wanted to be sure the artwork was really eye-catching and profound for this record; something really special and memorable. I am a huge fan of the older dark Renaissance type oil paintings from long ago, as you can see from our previous releases album covers. I wanted it to be original only to us; not a copied picture from the internet. So, I started doing some research on album cover artists. We really started writing the record around 2015. I had seen the artwork for Hatebreed’s Concrete Confessional album which was done by Eliran Kantor (You can read my 2015 interview with Eliran here! – hutch) and I was like “Damn! That’s sick”. So, I went through his portfolio on his website and knew this was the guy. Then, time passed and we were getting closer to finishing the record. We were at the point where we had working titles and lyrics for most of the songs and the music was already recorded. Then, the artwork for Crowbar’s The Serpent Only Lies came out. I was like, “Holy fucking shit! This is the sickest album cover I've ever seen in my entire life!” I mean, it had the old Greek statue looking guy, the fleur de lis, the snake, and those color tones were out of this world. So, right then and there I (contacted) Eliran. That’s when we started communicating back and forth about our album artwork. I sent him some rough takes of most of the songs without the lyrics. It was just music. We didn't even have the vocals recorded yet. And I emailed him copies of lyrics. And once we set the definitive title as “Remain Defiant”, I sent that to him and kind of described what that meant and what the record was basically about and he took it from there. And the final result is it’s just one of the most amazing paintings I've ever seen. The color scheme that he used on there was a little different from his previous works. He stated that to me and he said he made it a point because he wanted it to really stand out. I mean if you look at the record you have the whole rainbow in there. It's an absolute beautiful piece. So, it was specially made for the record.

2. How have you – as a band, and personally - spent time in between albums?

Well, personally, we spend the time working our jobs like dogs. (Haha) As a band, we've spent the times between records at a warehouse that we used to have in Fort Lauderdale for about 5 or 6 years. Writing more songs and playing local shows. When Lance joined in 2014, we literally lived in that warehouse for 4 - 5 days a week hours and hours and hours at a time. Just jamming and writing riffs and parts of songs. We clicked so well. I mean it was like I could play three chords and he would play 4 different beats and we would have a song. I mean it was ridiculous how fast we were just churning out songs. Some were good, some were just there. Some didn't make it on the record and most of them did. We probably, between us wrote 40+ songs for this record. I think the hardest part was narrowing it down to 11. (Hahaha) But we chose the more aggressive, relentless, unforgivable, and punishing songs to put on this record as with the lyrics. It's a little tough now because I just moved to Franklin Tennessee, so we haven’t gotten together and jammed in a while like we used to.

3. How did recording do? Producer? Duration? Studio?

The recording process went very well. It was smooth and natural. It was our first time recording at Iceman Studios with Daniel Colombo. It was really amazing. We recorded pretty much live. I would play guitar standing in front of Lance, playing in his ear and he would just play. We basically just played 3 - 4 takes on all the songs and just went with the best take. Old school style. We wanted the more natural feel. We didn't want to play to a click track. We didn’t want the quantifying, robotic feel. We wanted the hardcore push/pull energy and emotions felt throughout the record. We recorded drums first and I think it took like a day and a half. We originally recorded thirteen songs and narrowed it down to eleven. And, then, I went in and recorded all the guitars and bass tracks. Then, we sat on that for a while because there were a few songs that we didn't have lyrics to. So, we had to write lyrics. We went back in about 6 or so months later and wrapped it up. There's actually a couple of songs that we're changed right on the spot live. The second track of the record “What Never Dies” which is kind of like the sing-along anthem. The original ending riff was really slow and heavy and sludgy. It sounded good, but to me it just kind of cut your legs out from under you coming from the chorus and to that break. So, I looked at Lance and I'm like “Man this song is so moving but you know, it just, your legs get cut out from under you at the end. We have to write a different riff. We have to write a fucking extreme, old school, fucking New York style sounding, fucking beatdown riff.” We ran through it a few times. The new riff was written right there. Then, we ran with like two or three takes of it and the rest is history. We also changed the ending riff to “The God To Your Repentance”. The original riff kind of almost sounded like the verse part. So, again, me and Lance are like “We got to change that riff”. I actually took an ending riff with the lead guitar parts from one of the songs that didn't make it on the record because I really always liked that riff. So, we played it a couple times to see how it would fit going into it and it fit good. We played like three or four takes of it and that was it. It was kind of weird at first going back listening to those songs and hearing different riffs at the end when you originally wrote it with other riffs. (Hahaha) Daniel really got some killer drum tones in the room that he set it up in. We then dialed in the guitars and bass tones and I mean the production on this record is just to me, it sounds incredible. I mean, we're really happy we went with him. It was very relaxing, easygoing, and we didn't feel rushed.

4. What is the Florida scene like these days?

The Florida scene is pretty damn good. For years South Florida has produced some incredible hardcore bands. Most of your influential early 90s bands like Strongarm, Tension, and Culture (huge fan of all three! – hutch). I mean they used to have killer shows there every weekend. Between metal and hardcore, there endless talent there. I mean Florida is the death metal capital of the world. So just a breeding ground for great bands from metal to hardcore. This day and age the music scenes definitely are different from back in the 90s and early 2000’s. But there's always going to be some kind of scenes in Florida because it just nonstop harvests musician. It's like a hatchery for bands. There’s always going to be something going on. You have Miami. You have Palm Beach. You got Orlando, Tallahassee, Jacksonville. You can literally do a week tour just in Florida with all the different cities and scenes. (hahaha)

5. Growing up, what bands got you fired up and influenced you?

It’s funny. Growing up I was the biggest KISS freak when I was like five or six years old. My mom bought me all the records. My sister used to dress me up like them on Halloween. My first concert was Kiss in 1979 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. My mom brought me. I was like 5 or 6. I was always into music. Growing up in Louisiana, there’s always some Zydeco playing at the fair or on the weekends somewhere. My parents always had some kind of music on the radio. I used to go spend the weekend at my grandparents’ house out in the country where my two cousins used to live and they had a record player with some vinyl records. I must have been around 7 or 8. Something like that. They had Ozzy and Sabbath records. Some Skynard. They were a little older than me. Like teenagers. I would just sit there and listen to the records and stare at the album artwork. The one that really captured me was Black Sabbath Mob Rules. To this day it is my all-time favorite album. I think that album has definitely changed my life. I used to just play that record over and over and over again, ironically, and stare at the artwork. Once, we move to Florida. I started getting into band like Iron Maiden, Metallica, Megadeth. I was into skateboarding. So, I started getting into the punk and crossover bands like The Exploited, Misfits, and DRI, things like that. I really got into death metal once I heard Death’s Leprosy. Death was one of my favorite bands. Chuck Shculdiner was huge influence on me. Obituary. Massacre. All the good Florida death metal bands. And then my buddy gave me a cassette tape and that tape pointed me in the direction more of the street style hardcore. That tape was the first Biohazard. That's when I heard the mixture between hardcore and metal. I was playing guitar since I was 13. Heavily into Metallica, Megadeth, Iron Maiden, and Sabbath. So, hearing that NYHC style for the first time was eye opening. The groove and aggression was undeniable. Then, through skateboarding and hanging out, I met Greg. We would go to his house and his sister was a little older. She had a bunch of Old School hardcore vinyl. He would play those records. That's when I first heard Agnostic Front and Judge. We would go to each others’ houses and all we would listen to would be either Agnostic Front, Sick Of It All, or Biohazard. When Agnostic Front One Voice came out - it blew me away. Hearing Matt Henderson mixing those stylish leads over the music was amazing. That to me is their best record. It can't be matched. Then, from there, I got into Madball and most of the old New York style hardcore bands and the straight bands. Bands like Strife. Being from Louisiana. I have always been into Crowbar. They have been one of my all-time favorite bands ever since their first record. Loyal Until Death tunes in B standard basically because of Crowbar. I got that from just jamming along with Crowbar songs. So, that's also another band that has a huge influence on me and you can hear in some of the riffs. Especially, the last riff in “The Molding Of A Man”. As far as noticeable influences in the music writing, I would have to say that Crowbar, Agnostic Front, and Strife are the most prevalent.

6. What does rest of 2017 hold?

Now, that I live in Tennessee it's going to be a little tougher for us to get together. But, I'm communicating with a killer hardcore band from the UK who is supposed to do a US tour early next year. We're trying to see if maybe we could jump on that for 10 to 12 days and possibly follow them into Europe. I would like to book a small tour for the South East U.S. for this fall/winter to support the new record. I have started communications to try and put that together.

7. The digital is on Spotify. Have you gotten good feedback (album is sick!). And then vinyl is coming out 7/7. 150 gm virgin vinyl, limited colors. Did you guys or label push for this (or both)? Are you guys vinyl dudes?

Unbelievably, we have been getting more feedback than I ever expected. It's really starting to catch some traction. We've done a few different interviews with other magazines and there's a lot of sites out there that have reviewed the album. And so far all the reviews have been very positive. We knew it was going to be kind of a special record because of the focus that we took in the album, the songs, the lyrics, and the direction we took with the music as far as the emotional standpoint and just really putting everything into this. And it's really amazing to hear some of the comments that we get from the record. Hearing that from other people on the outside looking in really means a lot because it’s hard to look at it that way and judge and comment on your own creation because you've played the song hundreds of times and you’ve heard lyrics a million times. So, you know, I really respect and take to heart people's opinion when they hear it hitting them in the face for the first time. Because that's the way I do as a music lover and a fan of a ton of bands out there. When I hear their record for the first time hit me in the face and it's good, it's just an unbelievable feeling. As far as the vinyl, that was something that I brought up to the guys and I really pushed for. Because the label is my label that I started specifically for this record. So, I really pushed to get the vinyl and even though it's so fucking expensive to make these days. (hahaha) We decided to do it just to have it. Especially with the killer artwork and how good the recording came out I thought it was only fitting to just go the extra mile spend a few bucks and get some vinyl and some killer colors to offer to people that would appreciate it. And I’m glad I did. They are moving fast! I just started collecting vinyl again. When I was younger, I had bunch of records but just over the course of my life moving thousands of times you know, they got lost somewhere along the way. So, I started back collecting a couple years back. Greg has a killer collection that he inherited from his older sister passed away a couple years back. I'm talking priceless 7” pieces from the old school New York hardcore days that are probably irreplaceable. If I were him, I would take out an insurance policy on them. (hahaha)

8. Being a band in 2017 with Social media, merch sales dependent, and less big label support – more left to the band’s hustle. Would you agree? How is it compared to when you started?

Success this day and age definitely depends on how hard you grind and hustle. DIY can't be any truer of a statement. I mean it's hard enough trying to book your own shows and get on shows with other bands in other cities. It's not like the old days where you have a huge label behind you who has booking and promoter connections. But hardcore has always been about the harder paths of life you know, so. Definitely depending on how hard you hustle. Social media can definitely work into your favor. It's thousands of hours of ass-time sitting in front of the computer, but it's endless. There's endless possibilities. Through Facebook. Through online marketing. I mean if you have a great product and you market it the right way through social media, you never know. People could get behind it and next thing you know you’re somebody. It happens every day.

9. What does it mean to remain defiant in 2017? What can one do?

The title for us means that we haven’t changed throughout our life. We are all still the same mother fuckers that listen to the same music and are brothers to the same people since we met and started this shit in 1991. We don’t change with progression. We don’t participate in fads or trends. We fucking hate that shit and that’s what we write about. Our way of life and thinking in this day to younger kids is incomprehensible. We don’t buy into the social justice bullshit. We don’t need fucking safe spaces. We are grown men that can handle our fucking business anytime, anywhere, with anyone. We don’t call the fucking police. We don’t film crimes with our phones and post that shit on Fuckbook and try to snitch on a mother fucker. We mind our own fucking business. We carry a sense of pride and we don’t give a rats ass what people think of us. As far as what one can do to remain defiant, one first has to know what to defy.

10. How common or rare is Loyalty to find in others?

Loyalty in anyone is extremely rare these days. In family. In friends. People are really narcissistic these days. They think they’re the most important piece of shit on the planet. I’m fortunate to have some pretty solid brothers that I’ve known since high school. We’re all friends with the same group since back in the day. But I think the most important thing is to be true and loyal to yourself.