Burn Do or Die review

Buy Vinyl at DW
BURN bandcamp

Burn

Do or Die

Deathwish Inc

Sept 8

Review by hutch

Burn has peppered their history with releases. Do or Die adds to their one album and three EPs since 1990. They may not equal much output over 27 years, but each has triggered myriad inspiration for many bands. Gavin Van Vlack (Absolution) and Chaka Malik (later of Orange 9MM) joined forces to fuse one of the most unique bands in the NYHC scene. Others would run with this style, but these dudes were first. Two graf writers ignited turntables in 1990 without looking back on their self-titled, four track Revelation Records debut. 2001/2002 saw a one-two punch with Cleanse LP (Equal Vision) and Last Great Sea EP (Revelation). But that eleven year gap was second to their 14 year gap until 2016’s …From the Ashes (Bridge 9). Seeing every major player label ha been chasing them, DO or Die follows that path releasing September 8^th on Deathwish Inc.

But the last few years, Burn have been doing shows and gathering momentum at a faster pace than other spurts. Chaka looks fit and spews wisdom as fiery as ever. Their live presence is electricity barely contained. Chakas intensity transmits wonderfully here. The vibrant performance is classic. Gavin Van Vlack’s bizarre guitar work exhibits a unique approach to hardcore, noise, and rock. Now equipped with the rhythm section of Tyler Krupsky and Abbas Muhammed, this frantic melee dancing on taut piano wire births a sharp record with Do or Die. Chaka has a feel of every word being profound and prophetic. Audiences pay attention, clinging to his tense, engaging delivery.

Burn’s characteristics shine here. Their calling cards of off-beat tempos leading into bouncing NYHC rhythms are bountiful. The guitars often seem to contradict each other with a ‘contrasting as complimentary’ approach. Burn presents tough, crunchy riffs that are infectious; melodic guitar lines balanced with respites of stability. All of which delve into noisy rough tangents.

“Fate” opens and blazes” through. “Ill Together” sliding groove is enticing. Muhammed’s snare is precise and holds the chaos together. “Dead Identity” howls of anger over a caustic riff. The title track has layered vocals; some just frantic repetition. The drum pummel and charge in a constant rolling beat. But Van Vlack holds back with a sparse, slow guitar line. The push is phenomenal and tears the listener in two ways. This is the mantra for either a mental collapse or an incendiary chant before changing the world. Explosive. “Unfuck Yourself” continues the challenging lyrics. Krupsky’s bass is allowed a loose leash and revels in the opportunity. Mixed up front, it is glorious. A quitter tune, it still is stirring.

On Deathwish Inc this time, the Converge fam reps hard here with production by Kurt Ballou and a slick montage of eclectic clip art collected by Jake Bannon. Howie Weinberg mastered Do or Die. His experience is eccentric (google him. Rush to Lester Young to Slayer to Tom Waits). Burn have returned. Even if they lay dormant for another decade, a gem is here now. PMA flowing, sitting idle after listening to Do or Die is not possible.

RIYL: Candiria, VOD, Bane, 108, Quicksand, Fahrenheit 451

The Ditch and The Delta Hives in Decline Review

The Ditch and The Delta

Hives in Decline

Battleground Records

Review by hutch

Salt Lake City. Arid and barren. A salt lake; a contradiction in thought. Blistering out of this plain, is The Ditch and The Delta. A heavy doom band that incorporates myriad influences to spew original ideas; all soaked in the blood of noise rock. The new full length, Hives in Decline, has been out this summer and harvesting stellar reviews. The trio is touring most areas of the US, 8/15 through 9/02

Switching from thick and ugly one measure into a crisper more calculated attack the next, TD&TD’s songs balance various approaches meticulously. Their sound is loose and pulverizing, but with forethought. I tend to find the fuzzy belligerence more appealing but appreciate the respites of TD&TD pulling it in. Sandbars bring relief in rough waters.

“Fuck on Asphalt” is a chilling rocker, moving forward and using speed as a weapon as much as low- tuned thick chords. Halfway through its six minutes, the track reels back and becomes a reticent volcano of cymbals, toms, feedback and solo squeals. Other reviewers, and the band, will call influences such as Melvins and Eyehategod. I feel one can look to contemporaries like Black Tusk and Kylesa as well; TD&TD is the visceral to ISIS’ cerebral.

A Godflesh-like machine timed attack with real instruments as “Sleeping Dogs” or “Til Body Quits” begins. “Til Body Quits” soon picks up pace though. This has a succinct drum beat with a gliding, guitar line that refuses to let the listener sit still. Some explosive screams over mountainous riffs bring climactic proclamations. Heavy and defiant, this may be my favorite track. The dusty echo in the winding guitar of “Dry Land”; a two minute dirge that kicks up dust and the introspection of solitude, exhibits strong songwriting. This track does with inward sparsity what the rest of the album does with volume and low tones.

A piercing riff is the pith of the five minute “Mud”. Its high note wail which Eliot Scerist (guitars) pushes to charge forward is a conduit for each section of the track. It is a great send off point for the quieter discovery of the middle of the song which relishes a subtle tangent. The jazz infusion (think Pelican and Maserati) allows the trio to play and wander in a settled environment. But that’s one minute; the bulk of the song is still here to eviscerate. A violent thrash moves the song through its life, still with that guitar line pricking and needling the listener.

Hives in Decline pull sludge/doom and jazz breaks and together to relay a pounding execution. Angry bellows ride on discordant riffs which garner depression and regret. The ugliness of this society breeds rants and contemplation which TD&TD give us space and time in which to revel here.

RIYL: Melvins, Neurosis, Black Tusk, Maserati, ISIS, Earth, Godflesh, Intronaut.

Bandcamp - you can stream or buy vinyl

THE DITCH AND THE DELTA Tour Dates:

8/15/2017 Triple Nickel - Colorado Springs, CO

8/16/2017 Barleyscorn - Wichita, KS

8/17/2017 The Deep End - Wichita Falls, TX

8/18/2017 The Lost Well - Austin, TX

8/19/2017 Boom Boom Room - Lafayette, LA

8/20/2017 TBA - Atlanta, GA

8/21/2017 Slims - Raleigh, NC

8/22/2017 TBA - Baltimore, MD

8/23/2017 TBA - New York, NY

8/24/2017 Great Scott - Boston, MA w/ Rozamov

8/25/2017 Space Bar - Columbus, OH w/ Rozamov

8/26/2017 Reggies - Chicago, IL

8/27/2017 TBA - Sioux Falls, ND w/ Rozamov

8/28/2017 TBA - Billings, MT w/ Rozamov

8/29/2017 TBA - Spokane, WA w/ Rozamov

8/30/2017 El Corazon - Seattle, WA w/ Rozamov

8/31/2017 High Water Mark - Portland, OR w/ Rozamov

9/01/2017 The Shredder - Boise, ID w/ Rozamov

9/02/2017 Crucial Fest - Salt Lake City, UT w/ Rozamov

Throat Short Circuit Review

Throat

Short Circuit

Kaos Kontrol/Reptillian Records

listen and/or buy

Throat is a quartet from Turku, Finland. Their approach could be best described as noise rock. When I label a band “noise rock” the usual litany of AmRep and Touch & Go bands get listed. And while these influences are present, supplemented by a strong NYC post-hardcore vibe, there is songwriting here that uniquely stands. Throat cultivate tension and aggression, ebbing back at times to scrape the anxiety from their flesh.

The stripped production constructs a feeling of a menacing, large room. The instruments rain noise and tumult into your ears. The drums and vocals, echo from the far corner; chaotic strings of guitars pull you in varied directions. The production relishes the live feel of the band. Listeners get a calculated, thin feel of razors and wires instead of a big thick feel.

Time changes are Throat’s main weapons. Throat employ these sections of songs to stretch tethered emotions. Certainly at times, a rocking groove runs. Often though, Throat retreat into hollow vacuums of slow, purposeful whining and plucks of the guitar. The average song is about four minutes. This gives Throat enough time indulge but not overstay the listener’s welcomes.

The beauty of Throat is in the ugly discomfort their songs emit. The cover of Short Circuit, shows an illustration of a girl about tp compete a circuit between and outlet and herself with a bobby pin. She has a look of fear on her face, yet the impending motion will be completed. That cautious harbinger, founded in the certainty of the tragedy, reiterates the feel of this record. The listener knows from the first notes that this adventure will elicit sharp, slicing memories, but the listener will continue. Hell of a record.

RIYL: The Jesus Lizard, Godflesh, Helmet, Stillsuit, Shift, Quicksand, Cows, Melvins, Pissed Jeans, Drive Like Jehu

Loud Boyz Hard Feelings Review

Loud Boyz

Tough Love, Hard Feelings

Cricket Cemetery

Released: June 28th 2015

 On Anthrax’s, Sound of White Noise, they used a sample of Griffin Dunne in My Girl, saying, “Be dangerous unpredictable and make a lot of noise”. I don’t think a cool quote validates seeing such a sap filled film like that, but it sure could be the creed of Loud Boyz. These DC dudes are releasing their full length, Tough Love, Hard Feelings. The band is tight as hell, but still harnesses danger, unpredictability and well, yeah, Loud Boyz make a lot of noise.

Raw and raucous, a flood of influences crash my mental, but the island of originality stays solid at the core. The grumpy stalwart in me despises when someone tells me they like “punk” and then names some clean, polished production band on a major label and an image. Loud Boyz are young and celebrate many elements of Oi, Glam, rock, and fifty shades of punk. Pure intent fuses and patches and slaps together these pieces without caution to complete their body of sinister music.

Tough Love, Hard Feelings is a heavy album mostly. But it is an angry album thoroughly. The songwriting on certain songs, “Hard Feelings”, “Loud Boyz in Love”, “4 The Ladies”, conjures the speed and tense frustration of 90’s streetpunk. They have the ethos and appearance of an art space band. Certain songs will lend to that crowd. In the end, this is all DIY punk. “#goodluck” will bring out the kids for the pit with a vicious breakdown and sing along. Songs rip through speakers, with a dirty twang and impressions of relentless beatings. “World is a Cage” kills too.

The live feel of the production approach retains the classic punk sound of this band. “Knives” kicks off the album with a Bad Brains’ Black Dots feel, with supplemental gang vocals that will enrage a live crowd. The sweat will manifest on your headphones. All five members push their limits. While the band has no real boundaries, they never indulge. They never get too weird or veer to experimental. A catchy strum is the foundation for most songs, but a harsh feral feel is what you’ll remember afterwards.

 Expect that this band will light up shows, from VFW halls to basements. But they have the potential to be bigger. They will make that decision. Their vision and sincerity is palpable. The authenticity of the urgent need to spew unfettered truth in their manner is undeniable. Keeping it this real will let them do whatever the hell they want. They can go a different, more indie way, a la Iceage or Cerebal Ballzy, or stay this clinically insane and ravage hardcore shows.

RIYL: Fucked Up, Cerebal Ballzy, Blue Bloods, Deep Sleep, Cloak/Dagger, Pissed Jeans, Night Birds, Coliseum, Stiff Little Fingers, Whiskey Rebels, 86 Mentality, Nerve Agents; 77 punk, early 80s LA hardcore.

Bandcamp page