Wednesday 30 December 2015

***SUTEK CONSPIRACY exclusive interview***

GenresPunk / Viking Screamo / Hardcore / Swedish Metal / Skramz
Related artistsThe Dream Is Dead, John Q Public, In Calico, End Me, Ignorant Eyes, Young Chargers, Totally Ridiculous, Amber Asylum, Bastard Noise, Saros, Hammers Of Misfortune, Ionophore, Memento Mori, Novice Brown, Valkyrie and Vastum.
CountryLafayette, Indiana USA
Years Active: 1999-2002
Song: "Aftermath"
Album: "TR/Catheter split"
Year: 2000
For fans ofGreyskull, Arrows In Flight, FingerprintThe Book Of Dead Names, Neil Perry, Storm The Bastille, Four Hundred Years, Twelve Hour Turn, Fall Silent, Circle Takes The Square, The Khayembii Communique, Dispensing Of False Halos, Calling Gina Clark, Amygdala, Jeanne, Caitlyn Bailey, To Dream Of Autumn, Love Lost But Not Forgotten, Ivich, Jiyuna and Cobra Kai aka PROPER SCREAMO.
Label(s): Self Released / Ed Walters Records / Give & Take Records / Chiaroscuro / Heretic Records / Shit Records / Interference Records
This post's artist is from the November 2015 Mix. This is track #9.
You can download: the December Mix#12 right here or get the new January 2016 Mix#1 here.

Releasing from 2000-2001 in Lafayette, Indiana, SUTEK CONSPIRACY combined hardcore, metallic hardcore, punk and screamo, The band was a rare concoction of energetic and angry music and influenced by His Hero Is GoneReversal Of ManFingerprint, Four Hundred YearsIvichJasmineFrailAmon AmarthAt The Gates as well as the entire Ebullition catalogue. The lyrics were both political and social with heavy emphasis on discussion and interaction at shows. The band shifted through a few singers, with Jeremy bringing the final hammer to the table and kicking major ass on that last EP.

For the most part SUTEK CONSPIRACY played screamy hardcore in the vein of Ivich and Greyskull but on their final release titled 'Sutek Conspiracy' is one shrieky son of a bitch, as the band goes all out metallic screamo in the vein of Love Lost But Not Forgotten, Honeywell and To Dream Of Autumn. Gone are the skate punk and melodic bits, this is definitely their strongest release and most "screamo" album. The inclusion of speedy, melodic skate/hardcore is sporadic throughout with slightly obvious inclusions at the halfway point of "Forget It" and the opening of "I Still Can't Stand Up Straight" (which is actually closer to Yusuke on vocals and Caitlyn Bailey than anything else). "Fantasy Life" has some serious The Book Of Dead Names going on and "Little Boxes, Empty Heads" boasts thrash/metal influences. That's a lot of variety for one band in a three year period. One last thing the mention is the loose style of the music, as it was raw and unbridled, not precise and produced.

I have been internet friends with Alex Bond for a while now, and he was kind enough to answer a few questions. My favourite quote is this...
"People my mother's age are a lost cause, but younger parents these days can help turn it around. It's up to them to teach their children that hate is wrong, it's baggage, it's exhausting, and it's not worth it."
~Alex Bond


What comes to mind when you think of SUTEK CONSPIRACY?
Sutek started out as taking a lot of influence from European screamo bands, melodic screamo bands in the US. Fingerprint, Jasmine, Ivich, etc. When I joined the band, the music became more technical with Swedish/Norwegian metal influence somehow. I blame Leila for the shift, she is a huge metal head. She went on to be in Momento Mori, Saros, and now Vastum, amongst other projects. The lyrics were always politically charged.

Did the band name or band itself stand for anything?
Our passions/politics leaned towards animal rights, human/civil rights, gay rights, equality for women, the downfall of apartheid, confronting racism, world history. So we covered a lot of topics that were important to the community at the time, as well as throwing in our own experiences and knowledge on varied subjects.  Being a gay man in the punk/hardcore community, I really loved meeting other gay punk kids on the road and sharing experiences of growing up gay. I'm always down to talk about love for animals and how we need to protect them.

What bands influenced Sutek?
I would say a lot of the bands that influenced Sutek were just a good amount of bands that were firing up the basements at the time. His Hero Is Gone, Reversal of Man, of course the entire Ebullition catalog, Fingerprint, Ivich, Jasmine, Frail, Amon Amarth, At the Gates, just to name a handful. There were so many hard working, inspiring bands touring at the time, it was a good time to be alive and inspired.

I have a 6-song EP that isn’t listed online, what the heck is this thing?

 “The CD release was not titled. It was pretty much a demo, but it was a true manufactured disc, not a CDr. That's how I fell in love with the band. I saw them in the Greenbush House basement  in Lafayette, which was inhabited by Usurp Synapse at the time. That house has been inhabited by Shawn Decker of Middleman Records/Coma Regalia/Plague Walker for many moons now. That was the best time for hardcore, and so many good bands played there. I miss those days.

That s/t is super screamy. Was Jeremy the catalyst or was the band moving in a heavier direction anyways?
If you're referring to the final CD on Ed Walters Records, yeah he had some lungs on him for sure. We started playing more of a metal sound before he joined the band. Joe was the original screamer and was on all of the releases prior to the last CD, but we played all of those songs with Jeremy once Joe left. Leila was heavily influenced by bands like Amon Amarth and At The Gates at the time.

What was your most memorable show?
I still think that our show at Mr. Roboto Project in Pittsburgh with Pg99, 400 Years (maybe the Red Chord played?) and a couple other bands was the best time. It was one of the last shows for 400 Years and I love them to death, so it was a big deal for me.

What do you refer to your music as?
To describe the music, I always joked and called it viking screamo. Screamo+Swedish metal+Politically charged lyrics. It was an interesting combo. Hahaha

Tell us about the labels you released on.
Sutek did a split with Cobra Kai on Chiaroscuro Records out of Nashville (?), which Cobra Kai set up. It was a small label with an emphasis on hand-crafted art and packaging. The covers for those 7"s were beautiful. There was a split with Murdock on Ed Walters Records out of Philly. We were good friends with Michael Dailey at the time and he asked us if we would be interested in doing a split with people who used to be in CR...of course we were going to say yes to that right away! There was the split with Amputee Set that our friend Bill from Columbia, Missouri put out for us. That was a fun place to play. We had a split with Groinchurn from South Africa that came out on Give and Take Records. We unfortunately never got to meet those guys but they seemed like sweethearts. That just basically consisted of songs from our splits, as it was a CD split. I don't think I am missing anything aside from the final CDep on Ed Walters once again. Michael was definitely very sweet for yet again releasing an ep for us. His label was very much musically diverse and seeing as we kinda had a weird mashup of genres going on, it was a good fit. Interference was the label out of Columbia.

How has playing shows changed for you in the last 15 years?
Playing shows for me now is a lot different. I play in an indie/emoish/poppy-ish punk band, where my singer writes lyrics drawing from his own personal experiences. Even when I go to hardcore shows now, people are just merely observers and it is strange. There are no more political discussions at shows, no one in the audience screaming their faces off about the world and how fucked up it is. At a certain point, I decided playing angry music was not my number one priority and I don't cancel it out at any point. I just don't relate to it the way I used to. I still listen to everything I did back in the day.

How have your ideologies changed since SUTEK CONSPIRACY, considering you were part of a very political band? What are your thoughts/opinions on the progress of equal rights?
It's all about baby steps. I can now legally get married in my home state, yet women typically still get paid less than their male counterparts. So many people are stuck in the stone age mentally and until those people have a fucked up experience that threatens their well being, chances are that their mentality will not change. People my mother's age are a lost cause, but younger parents these days can help turn it around. It's up to them to teach their children that hate is wrong, it's baggage, it's exhausting, and it's not worth it. As far as racism, fuck there is a long journey ahead. I mean, it's almost as if a prerequisite to join the police force these days is to be a good ol' boy. It's frustrating, it's sad, and it is time for mass deprogramming within the home, within the schools, in the churches. There is a positive growth in the numbers of people converting to vegetarianism and veganism these days, and that is awesome. More people are speaking out about the negative impact factory farming has on the environment. People are starting to listen and take action against the bullshit more and more every day and that's what we need to be doing.

Whaddya think about the term "screamo"?
Screamo to me brings back the best musical memories of my life. The Greenbush House in Lafayette, the Secret Location in Indianapolis and Middle Man Records (a short-lived record store/venue in Indy that was not affiliated with Middle-Man records that Shawn runs). In 2-3 years, I saw so many amazing bands like 400 Years, Saetia, Encylopedia of American Traitors, Infinity Dive, Ereshkigal, 1919, Song of Zarathustra, Orchid, Reversal of Man, My Lai, Khayembii Communique, Pg99, Love Lost But Not Forgotten, Raein, To Dream of Autumn, etc. The late nineties were the best time for music, politics and forming who I am today. It was a magical time that will never be repeated.

What is your opinion of punk, hardcore, screamo and metal today? Other genres?
I definitely am not blown away that easily these days. It takes a lot more for the hairs to stand up on the back of my neck and give me goosebumps. To be honest, a lot of punk and hardcore just sounds recycled to me, a shell of what it once was. The sense of urgency is less apparent and I don't hear many new ideas being expressed within lyrics. There are some gems here or there, but I have to dig deeper these days. Metal is metal, it's fun to rock out to, but it's silly novelty music to me. Plus, metal recordings just sound like they were created by robots. Nothing turns me off more than an over-produced record with no substance. I don't mean to sound like an old sad jaded bastard. It's just things that people told you would gradually occur as you age are ringing true and that in itself is mind-blowing. Hahahaha

What have you been listening to most, recently.
I am currently obsessed with Archivist, Cloud Rat, Tentacles, Ostraca, Haapoja, Truman, Mrtex, anything on Middle Man and React With Protest. Those two labels are on top of what really speaks to me. Skeletal Lightning, Halo Of Flies, and Dead Tank also are great labels that pump out really good bands and really celebrate the DIY spirit.

What is your life like now vs. when Sutek Conspiracy was around? Whatchya up to?
Now I work full time, 8-5 Monday-Friday for a tech company. I live with my partner and our two dogs. I play drums for the band In Calico and I haven't been on tour since 2003 hahaha. I do miss being on the road but I crave stability more than being flat broke and sleeping on floors all the time haha. I'm a homebody and boring these days, but I'm happy and stable. I still listen to hardcore constantly and love to play drums. Life is good for sure.


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DISCOGRAPHY
Click )==>here<==( to download the band's complete discography in mp3/wma form.

1999 - untitled demo cdEP

2000 - TR / Catheter split cdLP
2000 - Murdock split 7"EP

2001 - Groinchurn split cdLP (songs are from the Murdock, Amputee Set and Cobra Kai splits)
2001 - Cobra Kai split 7"EP
2001 - Amputee Set split 7"EP

2004 - Sutek Conspiracy cdEP

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(2004) SUTEK CONSPIRACY - "The Sun is Shining" (from 'Sutek Conspiracy')

(2004) SUTEK CONSPIRACY - "I Still Can't Stand Up Straight" (from 'Sutek Conspiracy')

(2004) SUTEK CONSPIRACY - "Funeral for a Warrior Part 1" (from 'Sutek Conspiracy')

(2001) SUTEK CONSPIRACY - "Nanjing" (from 'Amputee Set' split)

(2001) SUTEK CONSPIRACY - "She Never Asked For It" (from 'Cobra Kai' split)

(2000) SUTEK CONSPIRACY - "Aftermath" (from 'TR/Catheter' split)

(2000) SUTEK CONSPIRACY - "Little Boxes, Empty Heads" (from 'Murdock' split)

(1999) SUTEK CONSPIRACY - "Broken Across" (from 'untitled demo')

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SUTEK CONSPIRACY out of print mp3/wma discography download

(download here)
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Tuesday 29 December 2015

SUNDOWNING

BandSUNDOWNING
GenresPunk / Post-Metal / Hardcore / Doom / Crust / Sludge / Downtempo
Related artists?.
CountryRuhr Area GERMANY
Years Active2009-present
Song: "Seizures of the World"
Album: "Seizures of the World"
Year: 2012
For fans ofSpires, Tephra, Amber, Rosetta, Fall Of Efrafa, Buried Inside, Light Bearer, Downfall Of Gaia, Locktender, Monuments Collapse, Isis, Neurosis, The Ocean, Zozobra, Training For Utopia, Titan, Gray Ghost, Captain, Your Ship Is Sinking and Curl Up And Die.
Label(s): Moment Of Collapse Records / Iron Plague Records
This post's artist is from the November 2015 Mix. This is track #8.
You can download: the December Mix#12 right here or get the new January 2016 Mix#1 here.

SUNDOWNING play dark, expansive post-metal. If you are in cahoots with Rosetta, Light Bearer and Spires I'd be hella surprised should you dislike this. The band has released two EPs, a full length and two splits since their inception in 2009. The first 'Sundowning' EP is much more chuggier and the vocals are not quite at the screamy/growly level they are after this initial release. I definitely would not start here unless you love Training For Utopia and early Curl Up And Die. The 'Of Aging Stone and Rotting Leaves' was released in 2011 and shows the band at (for the most part) their current sound. The rise peaked (for me) in 2012 with their 'Seizures of the World' LP that resembles Fall Of Efrafa, Tephra and Buried Inside. I would recommend starting here, as the post-hardcore/post-metal is at its finest. Be sure to listen to the title track "Seizures of the World" and watch the music video on vimeo here. The two following splits in 2013 showed the band experimenting more within their sound. Here Rosetta, Downfall Of Gaia and Light Bearer are the most obvious comparisons but the band retains their own vibe over the two songs housed across the two splits. If you dig the heavy, atmospheric post-metal this will be much welcomed.

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DISCOGRAPHY

2009 - Sundowning EP (stream/donate/download here)

2011 - Of Aging Stone and Rotting Leaves EP (stream/donate/download here)

2012 - Seizures of the World LP (stream/donate/download here)

2013 - Connections 6-Way split EP (stream/donate/download here)
2013 - Red Apollo split EP (stream/donate/download here)

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(2012) SUNDOWNING - "Seizures of the World" (from 'Seizures of the World')

(2012) SUNDOWNING - "Heartless" (from 'Seizures of the World')

(2013) SUNDOWNING - "Funeral Malevolence" (from 'Connections')

(2013) SUNDOWNING - "Ceasing Lamentations" (from 'Red Apollo' split)

(2011) SUNDOWNING - "Crown Of Thorns" (from 'Of Aging Stone and Rotting Leaves')

(2009) SUNDOWNING - "Salvations" (from 'Sundowning')

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SUNDOWNING additional links

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Monday 28 December 2015

SUPERMACHINER

GenresElectronic / Post-Rock / Ambient / Noise / Avant-Garde / Experimental
Related artistsConverge, Blue/Green Heart, Euclid, Kid Kilowatt, Sevenpercentsolution, The Hugenots, Some Kind Of Hate, Daltonic and Irons.
CountryBoston, Massachusetts USA
Years Active2001
Song: "I Am Legend"
Album: "Rise of the Great Machine"
Year: 2001
For fans ofExperimental stuff. I dunno, this isn't within my comfort zone to compare.
Label(s): Deathwish Inc. / Icarus Records / Undecided Records / E-Vinyl
This post's artist is from the November 2015 Mix. This is track #7.
You can download: the December Mix#12 right here or get the new January 2016 Mix#1 here.

I first purchased 'Rise of the Great Machine' when it was released as it was when I was first discovering all of Converge's side projects with some ridiculous results, aka Old Man Gloom, although now we also have Mutoid Man. It was interesting for what it was but it never really appealed to me all that much. "I Am Legend" is pretty cool but otherwise I don't listen to anything by the collaboration of Jacob Bannon, the vocalist of Converge and master of Deathwish Inc. and Kurt Ballou, the guitarist of Converge, producer and creator of God City Studios. I just found out that 'Rust' was released back in 2009 but I didn't check it out until just now. It must be a b-side/remix/demo album and worth a listen if you haven't heard 'Rise of the Great Machine' because you can experience both albums as (I'd presume) they were meant to be heard...? It's 30 tracks spanning hours of rigorous, ambient brain stretching. Basically, if you like experimental, noise, drone (inspired by Swans and Bauhaus) and Jacob Bannon you'll love this. I don't. It's alright.

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DISCOGRAPHY

2001 - Rise of the Great Machine cd/2x12"LP (located on 'Rust' LP)

2009 - Rust 2xcdLP (stream/buy here)

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(2001) SUPERMACHINER - "I Am Legend" (from 'Rise of the Great Machine')

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SUPERMACHINER additional links

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Friday 25 December 2015

HEIßE

BandHEIßE (formerly WEAK)
GenresPunk / Screamo / Hardcore / Emo-violence / Noise / Black Metal / Skramz
Related artistsWeak.
CountryHalifax, Nova Scotia CANADA
Years Active2014-present
Song: "Haunt"
Album: "Leverage of Decomposition"
Year: 2015
For fans ofCaust, Swan Of Tuonela, .Gif From God, Jeromes Dream, Amygdala, Crocus, Welcome The Plague Year, Lord Snow, Loma Prieta, Beau Navire, The Apoplexy Twist Orchestra, Daighila, King's Girls, Lora, Deadseraphim, Craneo, Jowls, Ostraca, Letters To CataloniaVirginia On Duty, Moonasi, Tristan Tzara, Danse Macabre and Jeanne aka PROPER SCREAMO.
Label(s): Friendly Otter
This post's artist is from the November 2015 Mix. This is track #2.
You can download: the December Mix#12 right here or get the new January 2016 Mix#1 here.

HEIßE (aka HEISSE) are from Eastern Canada and play dirty, caustic and turbulent screamy hardcore with lots of emo-violence embedded within the noise. Chaos spews out in one to two minute controlled bursts with some of the most pained, emotional and angry screaming I've ever heard. Songs such as "Bloodletter" are very reminiscent of later Beau Navire material that combines multiple screams and a soul engulfing ferocity with grooving, underlying melodies.

Their newest six song EP 'Leverage of Decomposition' takes the dingy freakouts from their 2014 split with If Only There Were No Other People In The World (at which point HEIßE were known as WEAK, but changed their name shortly thereafter) and lays down additional layers of heaviness as well as structure. I find the recording a little lacking in the production department as the songs don't sound as thick and powerful as they probably do live. Regardless, the split and especially the 2015 EP are worth checking out if you like your hardcore heavy on the screaming, anger, speed and toxicity.

An additional reason for posting this was during my podcast with Olin Dunleavy of Friendly Otter Records he played "Tetsusaiga" and explained how awestruck he was by the band (listen to said podcast here). I relistened and realized that I needed to move my butt and post these fellas' stuff. Killer screamo. Give me more!

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DISCOGRAPHY

2014 - If Only There Were No Other People In The World split digitalEP (stream/buy here)

2015 - Leverage of Decomposition cassetteEP (stream/donate/download here)

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(2015) HEIßE - "Haunt" (from 'Leverage of Decomposition')

(2015) HEIßE - "Bloodletter" (from 'Leverage of Decomposition')

(2015) HEIßE - "Winter Lung" (from 'Leverage of Decomposition')

(2014) HEIßE - "Loathe" (from 'If Only There Were No Other People In The World' split)

(2014) HEIßE - "Teeth" (from 'If Only There Were No Other People In The World' split)

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HEIßE additional links

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Monday 21 December 2015

***PEOPLE'S TEMPLE PROJECT review and мятеж tour documentary***

GenresPunk / Hardcore / Emo / Screamo / Dreamo / Skramz / Bagelcore
Related artists: The Story Of Floating Weeds and The Spirit Of Saint Louis.
CountryLong Island, New York USA
Years Active2013-present
Song: "1"
Album: "мятеж split"
Year: 2015
For fans ofAltar Of ComplaintsD'AmoreIndian SummerMontcalmFuneral Diner, Kodan Armada, Caught In The Fall, Matsuri, Tipping Canoe, Coma Regalia, Logs, Ken Burns, The Last Forty Seconds, Sleeper Wave, Portraits Of Past, Envy, Secret Smoker, Sanctions, Nationale, Mihai Edrisch, Carlisle, Incurable Complaint, Trotsky, Union Of Uranus, Youth Novel and "Deafheaven" aka PROPER SCREAMO.
Label(s): Self Released / Zegema Beach Records / Friendly Otter Records / Akashita Corp. / Dingleberry Records / IFB Records / Wolftown DIY / Upwind Records
This post's artist is from the November 2015 Mix. This is track #1.
You can download: the November Mix#11 right here or get the new December 2015 Mix#12 here.

First off, as this is a video premiere, here are the links for Part 1 and Part 2 of the PEOPLE'S TEMPLE PROJECT/мятеж Tour Documentary 'Yeah, I'm Not From Around Here'. Now onto the band.

I was first introduced to PEOPLE'S TEMPLE PROJECT by one of the band's fans/friends via submission for a secondary blog thingy I used to run called OMSB Talent. You can view the very short review here. Now we've released a split 7" and gone on tour together. Crazy. The band has been backed by Olin of Friendly Otter Records since the get-go who was able to accompany them (and the project I'm a part of, мятеж) for almost half of our mid-Eastern US tour in July of 2015. PEOPLE'S TEMPLE PROJECT have a sound all their own. Considering that the band has very obvious screamy hardcore leanings, I find it very difficult to say, "oh they sound like..." as they have managed to craft something different and unique but very entrenched in screamo music. I think the closest I can come is Funeral Diner builds meets Altar Of Complaints dreamy screamo with the chaotic mashup of Kodan Armada. Yep, it's pretty darn good. And all this (as of the end of 2015) was all recorded before they acquired a bass player!

PEOPLE'S TEMPLE PROJECT began as a three-piece by creating an insanely good demo in 2013 that fixed their sights on driving emo/screamy hardcore but by their 2015 releases the sound had evolved to a more aggressive, faster and technical style. That being said, I think I love both incarnations equally as they hit home so well it's rather uncanny. The head bobbing hooks and driving nature of "Evidence 5" get me just as excited as the guitar shredding and subsequent build up that culminates in my favourite PEOPLE'S TEMPLE PROJECT part of any song beginning with the vocal patterns placed at 1:07 and bleeding into the epic conclusion of "1". As you can see/hear in the documentary video (part 2 at 5:43, linked here) the band wrote a new song before going on tour and recruited Jesse Mowery for vocals on the 5th show. He busted out some improvisational screams that stuck and were repeated nightly thereafter as one of the highlights of each set. I really hope they record a version of it for a future release because it's awesome.

Not only are PEOPLE'S TEMPLE PROJECT an awesome band, but they are amazing people and truly promote diy ethics. Their releases on cd, cassette and vinyl have all been or if not most of the driving force behind the release and the artwork/packaging and in some cases the tape/cd creation duplication. Eric and Greg from the band have also started the Akashita Corp. label which has released a compilation, the PTP/мятеж split 7" and the Sleeper Wave self titled cassette. In early 2016 PEOPLE'S TEMPLE PROJECT will be releasing a very limited lathe of all new songs as well as another 7".

I guess that's it. This could be insanely long, but considering the tour documentary is almost thirty minutes I'd recommend saving your time and energy so you can peep that bad boy. Not only are there a bunch of PEOPLE'S TEMPLE PROJECT clips, but also a heap of (generally) local bands that killed it at every stop we played. The documentary took over 50 hours to compile, cut, edit and whatnot so please check it out and feel free to share. I gotta give extra props to the Neil Perry 'Lineage Situation' tour documentary and the Mara'akate 'Congratulations on Your Impending Geography' tour dvd for inspiring me to make the video.

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DISCOGRAPHY

2013 - Demo cassette/cdEP (stream/donate/download here)
2013 - 01 digital single (stream/donate/download here)

2014 - Zampler #3 - Nerves of Steel cdr compilation [contributed "Evidence 4 (rough demo)"]
2014 - Demo 2 cassetteEP

2015 - мятеж split 7"EP (stream/donate/download here) OR (purchase 7" here)
2015 - Empathy cassette compilation (contributed "Untitled") (stream/donate/download here)
2015 - Demo Collection cdrEP

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(2015) PEOPLE'S TEMPLE PROJECT/мятеж Tour Documentary 'Yeah, I'm Not From Around Here' Part 1

(2015) PEOPLE'S TEMPLE PROJECT/мятеж Tour Documentary 'Yeah, I'm Not From Around Here' Part 2

(2015) PEOPLE'S TEMPLE PROJECT - "1" (from 'мятеж' split)

(2015) PEOPLE'S TEMPLE PROJECT - "3" (from 'мятеж' split)

(2015) PEOPLE'S TEMPLE PROJECT - "Untitled" (from 'Empathy' compilation)

(2014) PEOPLE'S TEMPLE PROJECT - "Evidence 4 (demo)" (from 'Zampler #3' compilation)

(2013) PEOPLE'S TEMPLE PROJECT - "Evidence 5" (from 'Demo')

(2013) PEOPLE'S TEMPLE PROJECT - "Evidence 3" (from 'Demo')

(2013) PEOPLE'S TEMPLE PROJECT - "Evidence 2" (from 'Demo')

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PEOPLE'S TEMPLE PROJECT additional links

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Sunday 20 December 2015

THIS CITY CALLED EARTH

GenresPunk / Instru-metal / Rock / Post-Rock / Prog Rock / Post-Hardcore / Experimental / Noise / Drone / Ambient / Improv
Related artists?.
CountryRichmond, Virginia USA
Years Active2013-present
Song: "The Plight and Mercy of Vienna"
Album: "This City Called Earth"
Year: 2013
For fans ofGifts From Enola, Pelican, Russian Circles, Maserati, Tomydeepestego, Finger Of God, Town Portal, Glasir, Dakota/Dakota, Ornaments, Ahleuchatistas, Merridew, The Bulletproof Tiger, Piglet, Hella, The Advantage, Soda Lane and Explosions In The Sky.
Label(s): Self Released
This post's artist is from the November 2015 Mix. This is track #4.
You can download: the December Mix#12 right here or get the new January 2016 Mix#1 here.

THIS CITY CALLED EARTH is (I believe) a one man project from Virginia in the USA. The mathy, jazzy and improvisational style is excellent, especially considering that my favourite release by the band is their self titled debut from back in 2013. The dizzying array of guitar attacks that resemble Gifts From Enola, Maserati and early Russian Circles worship is mingled with The Mars Volta/Ahleuchatistas-esque quirky improv passages. The songs on every record generally adhere to this successful formula with a few exceptions. "Friendship & Macaroni are Best When Served Warm" has vocals which work quite well and are reminiscent of Gifts From Enola and float on top of the instrumentals not unlike Hum. Some tracks meander a little too much, such as "Sever the Limbs, Preheat the Oven (10,000 Farenheit)" with tangents that detract from the listening experience, in my opinion. They just seem too loose and have no gravity to them, they just kinda float around and don't go anywhere. That being said, this project is worth your time and will certainly entice fans of the aforementioned instru-metal bands.

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DISCOGRAPHY

2013 - This City Called Earth digitalLP (stream/donate/download here)

2014 - Illustration of War digitalEP (stream/buy here)
2014 - Al-Qaeda Stole My Spider Jars digitalsingle (stream/donate/download here)

2015 - Sunlight digitalEP (stream/donate/download here)
2015 - Friendship & Macaroni are Best When Served Warm digitalsingle (stream/donate/download here)

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(2013) THIS CITY CALLED EARTH - "The Plight and Mercy of Vienna" (from 'This City Called Earth')

(2013) THIS CITY CALLED EARTH - "Slow Learner" (from 'This City Called Earth')

(2014) THIS CITY CALLED EARTH - "秀樹は、かみそりスリーピング" (from 'Illustration of War')

(2014) THIS CITY CALLED EARTH - "Etov Souminanu" (from 'Illustration of War')

(2014) THIS CITY CALLED EARTH - "Al-Qaeda Stole My Spider Jars" (from single of the same name)

(2015) THIS CITY CALLED EARTH - "Friendship & Macaroni are Best When Served Warm" (from 'Sunlight')

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THIS CITY CALLED EARTH additional links

Bandcamp

Facebook
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Saturday 19 December 2015

ADVENT

BandADVENT
GenresPunk / Hardcore / Noise / Metallic Hardcore / Crust / Sludge
Related artistsBeloved, The Almost and Torn.
CountryNorth Carolina USA
Years Active2007-2010
Song: "Revival"
Album: "Naked and Cold"
Year: 2009
For fans ofThe Hope Conspiracy, Raised Fist, Into The Moat, Whores, Botch, Engineer, Achilles, Norma Jean, The End, Lavotchkin, The Power And The Glory and Unearth.
Label(s): Solid State Records / 
This post's artist is from the November 2015 Mix. This is track #3.
You can download: the December Mix#12 right here or get the new January 2016 Mix#1 here.

There were some really dark times for me in South Korea. ADVENT embodied my seething inner turmoil and utter frustration with the world as well as myself. This music is not pretty. It's dirty, sludgy, metallic hardcore with a rusty, jagged and toxic touch. The harsh tones really set a mood of violence and discontent. It borders on a cross between The Hope Conspiracy and Unearth but much more evil. It's not amazing or anything, it's decent for what it is. What it is is also Christian Metal, which leads me to the conclusion that they were angry because they were all duped into believing a crock of shit. Check out the embedded videos and listen for yourself, as this is probably the first band of this darker, harsher "genre" of metal/hardcore to be posted on OMSB.

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DISCOGRAPHY

2008 - Remove the Earth cdLP

2009 - Naked and Cold cdLP (download here)

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(2009) ADVENT - "Revival" (from 'Naked and Cold')

(2009) ADVENT - "With Anger" (from 'Naked and Cold')

(2008) ADVENT - "Eulogy?" (from 'Remove the Earth')

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ADVENT wma 'Naked and Cold' download / additional links

(download here)

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Tuesday 15 December 2015

SINKING STEPS...RISING EYES

GenresPunk / Emo / Screamo / Ambient / Post-Rock / Post-Hardcore / Post-Metal
Related artistsRoman Ships.
CountrySouth Dakota USA
Years Active2001-2004 & 2011
Song: "Star-lit Soliloquy"
Album: "Majestic Blue"
Year: 2004
For fans ofAngel Eyes, Respire, Dawntreader, 124C41+, ...Who Calls So Loud, Funeral Diner, Coma Regalia, Lonely Animals, Isis, , Bloodpheasant, Ephemera, To Dream Of Autumn, Envy, Milanku, So Hideous, My Love, Portrait, The Tragedy, OsoLuna, I Would Set Myself On Fire For You, Evylock and The Pax Cecilia aka PROPER SCREAMO.
Label(s): Init Records / Discern Direction Records
This post's artist is from the November 2015 Mix. This is track #10.
You can download: the December Mix#12 right here or get the new January 2016 Mix#1 here.

SINKING STEPS...RISING EYES were a post-hardcore/screamo band in the early 2000s that employed some pretty experimental stuff for the genre, such as piano/keyboards, flute, clean female vocals and a classical twist while doing so in fantastical fashion. All of their material was released by the amazing Init Records (one of my top five record labels of all time) from 2004 with the exception of the final 7" which was released in 2011 and was recorded that same year when the band reunited for the Init Fest, although the songs were written in 2003 or so.

'The 2002 EP' (released in 2002 on cd by the band and 2004 as a 7" on Init Records) is the heaviest and closest to Envy and To Dream Of Autumn. The 2004 LP 'Majestic Blue' boasts a soft/hard dynamic that may not have been matched in the decade since its release and parallels Angel Eyes as well as The Pax Cecilia. The posthumous 'Two Songs' 7" is another gem that sounds more like the 2002 EP and injects additional quirky rhythms and interesting time signatures. On every release the songs eclipse four minutes (with many being six and upwards of 10) with a single exception of "In Exile" which clocks in at 2:06. My personal favourite is "Star-lit Soliloquy" from 'Majestic Blue' as it hits everything perfectly, so if you need a song recommendation start there.

The band was always able to gradually shifts from harsh screaming and heaviness to angelic vocals and sweet lullabies seamlessly. The fluidity of their material is truly astounding and they were way ahead of the curve considering all of this stuff was recorded over a decade ago. I'm not going to write anymore because the music speaks for itself and accurate comparisons are pretty much nonexistent. The closest thing I've got for you is Angel Eyes, Respire, Portrait and The Pax Cecilia...which is some pretty damn ass good company. Check that shit out.

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DISCOGRAPHY
Click )==>here<==( to download the band's complete discography in mp3/wma form.

2002 - The 2002 EP cd/7"EP (stream/buy here)

2004 - Majestic Blue cd/2x12"LP (stream/buy here)

2011 - Two Songs 7"EP (stream/buy here)

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(2011) SINKING STEPS...RISING EYES - "Per Diem" (from 'Two Songs')

(2004) SINKING STEPS...RISING EYES - "Star-lit Soliloquy" (from 'Majestic Blue')

(2004) SINKING STEPS...RISING EYES - "The Shedding Skin" (from 'Majestic Blue')

(2002) SINKING STEPS...RISING EYES - "Untitled Three" (from 'The 2002 EP')

(2002) SINKING STEPS...RISING EYES - "Untitled One" (from 'The 2002 EP')

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SINKING STEPS...RISING EYES out of print mp3 discography download

(download here)

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Monday 14 December 2015

SING! SING! PRISON

GenresPunk / Rock / Post-Hardcore / Emo / Garage / Alternative
Related artistsMatt Leech and American Tourist and the Karaoke Singers.
CountryHarrisonburg, Virginia USA
Years Active2004-2009
Song: "Making the Clouds Bleed"
Album: "Mass Movement Of The Moth split"
Year: 2005
For fans ofSerotonin, The Blood Brothers, Encrypt Manuscript, Q And Not U, The Vogue, Soiled Doves, Despistado, Algernon Cadwallader, The Get Up Kids, Life At These Speeds, KC Milian and Hercules Hercules.
Label(s): Pink Noise Records / Voyage Sound Research
This post's artist is from the November 2015 Mix. This is track #6.
You can download: the December Mix#12 right here or get the new January 2016 Mix#1 here.

SING! SING! PRISON was an emo-rock band with some minor post-hardcore leanings who got their name from Alcatraz. The mostly whispered and occasionally sassed instrumentals can sound very reminiscent of bands such as Serotonin, Encrypt Manuscript and Despistado - without being as good as any of them. Truth be told, the main reason this is here (perhaps the only reason this is here) is because of their split with Mass Movement Of The Moth's "Making the Clouds Bleed" being a very cool post-punk/sass track. The rest of the discography is more emo based and not really my cup of tea. "Kindling Scaffold for Kindred Hearts" is worth mentioning because of both its 7:33 length and the epic nature of the song, which is quite different than the rest of their stuff. "Staples and Tape" has some tribal D'Amore and a lot of Q And Not U going on which is pretty cool. "Everything is Hardly Enough" is a pretty sweet song that reminds me of Serotonin meets The Get Up Kids. They have instrumentals down but the vocal delivery isn't always there. They vary from whispering to mildly snotty/sassy shouting and work best when paired with the jarring, heavier and even jazzier sounding stuff, although the beautiful "Verbatim" throws my argument on its side cuz that softer, resonating song is pretty sweet.

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DISCOGRAPHY
Click )==>here<==( to download the band's complete discography in mp3 form.

2004 - Demos?

2005 - Mass Movement Of The Moth split 7"EP

2009 - Discography digitalLP

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(2005) SING! SING! PRISON - "Making the Clouds Bleed" (from 'Mass Movement Of The Moth' split)

(2004) SING! SING! PRISON - "Verbatim" (from 'Discography')

(2004) SING! SING! PRISON - "Everything Is Hardly Enough" (from 'Discography')

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SING! SING! PRISON out of print mp3 discography download

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Monday 7 December 2015

O' GOD THE WHITE WHALE

GenresPunk / Rock / Post-Metal / Emo / Screamo / Hardcore / Skramz
Related artists?.
CountryCarrboro/Chapel Hill, North Carolina USA
Years Active2009-2013
Song: "Brand New Song"
Album: "Never Knows Best"
Year: 2012
For fans ofLord Snow, Suffix, I Hate Sally, Hot Cross, Caitlyn Bailey, OsoLuna, The Now, Neil Perry, Terry Green, State FaultsFear Before The March Of Flames, Back When, Autarkeia, Mares Of Thrace and Saetia aka PROPER SCREAMO.
Label(s): Driftwood Records
This post's artist is from the November 2015 Mix. This is track #1.
You can download: the December Mix#12 right here or get the new January 2016 Mix#1 here.

I don't know why I opted to check out a random facebook post about six months ago, but holy shit I'm glad I did. O' GOD THE WHITE WHALE released a single, beautiful, dark, angry and technical screamo record that will go down as housing some of the best tracks I heard this year, as I missed the boat by three years. The bands clashes a few styles, most notably Caitlyn Bailey, Hot Cross and Lord Snow. The crazy thing is, the band is as good as you'd hope the previous amalgamation would be, not the usual sub-par "oh it's decent but nowhere near as good as the other bands". This 6-song EP is fucking sick.

Let's start with the insanely good "Brand New Song" which is probably the best song on the album. Just after 10 seconds in the dueling guitar wizardry kicks in and at 40 seconds in the screams really start to permeate past the emotionally charged talking/singing that is prominent on every song. The spoken vocals are quite reminiscent of Lord Snow, but when the screams start the intensity is taken up a notch as the screams bare more resemblance to Welcome The Plague Year and Makara's Kerry Pries (interviewed here). The mixture of heavy, discordant pushes are balanced by Josh Jakubowski-esque melodies (think Neil Perry, The Now and Hot Cross). I love this kind of mixture between chaos and beauty, as I also love the equilibrium of high pitched female screams and low, gutteral male ones. "Ends. Endings." is another gem of a jam that brings some sexy Back When riffing into the mix, which I'm a goddamn sucker for. The vocals when sung sound like a mixture of Steph from Lord Snow and Billy from Saetia/Hot Cross. The screams are littered throughout this song and the back and forth doesn't stray far from OsoLuna territory, which they also match with some atmospheric instrumentals. Seriously the screaming on this track is killer. "Fourteen Years" would probably be the best song to use to introduce this band to a person that is more skeptical on the screaming and heaviness scale, as the intro and build to the song are quite accessible and fantastic at the same time. The imminent explosion detonates at 2:39 after a truly angelic and epic crescendo which culminates in a ridiculously amazing conclusion. Holy fucking shit. The closer and title track "Never Knows Best" is by far the heaviest and most devastating song on the record, so take note before the dark growls of, "I am nowhere. I am nowhere. I am nowhere. I am nowhere." lead you down the path of worshipping Satan.

All six tracks on here kick major ass (with the possible exception of "Cicada Whisper", so stop dilly dallying and download that overlooked gem that is O' GOD THE WHITE WHALE. Fucking stat.

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DISCOGRAPHY

2009 - some EP perhaps called We Put the Fun in Funeral (stream a song here)

2012 - Never Knows Best cassette/10"EP (stream/donate/download here)

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(2012) O' GOD THE WHITE WHALE - "Brand New Song" (from 'Never Knows Best')

(2012) O' GOD THE WHITE WHALE - "Fourteen Years" (from 'Never Knows Best')

(2012) O' GOD THE WHITE WHALE - "Ends. Endings." (from 'Never Knows Best')

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O' GOD THE WHITE WHALE out of print mp3 discography download / additional links

(download here)

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