STORM{O}

Band: STORM{O}

Genres: Punk / Noise Rock / Grind / Mathcore / Emo-Violence / Crust / Hardcore / Post-Hardcore / Metalcore / Screamo / Noise / Experimental / Thrash
Related artists: I don't know.
Country: Feltre, ITALY
Years Active: 2005-present
Song: "Supernova"
Album: "Sospesi Nel Vuoto Bruceremo In Un Attimo E Il Cerchio Sara Chiuso"
Year: 2014
Label(s): Self Released / Friendly Otter / Desordre Ordonne / Cynic Lab / Shove Records / Here And Now Records / Fallo Dischi / Dischi Bervisti / Epileptic Media / Left Hand / SM Musik / Storm Records
This post's artist is from the June 2014 Mix. This is track #15.
You can download the June 2014 Mix#6 right here or get the new July Mix#7 here.
For fans of: Virginia On Duty, Seventeen Again, Alpinist, Ravin, Jungbluth, The Expectorated Sequence, Rayleigh, The Power And The Glory, Envy, Tetola93, La Parade, Converge, Locktender, Cassilis, Dolcim, June Paik, Zann, Trainwreck, La Quiete, Enkephalin, Psyopus, Crrust and Rosetta.

Ever wondered what Converge would sound like with screamed vocals, the melodic grasp of La Parade (with zero clean singing), the unrelenting heaviness of The Power And The Glory mixed with the urgency of Jungbluth? How's about another question, how fast can a person drum without spontaneously combusting? The answer to both questions...STORM{O}.

STORM{O} has apparently been around for awhile (since 2005, apparently), but I only just heard them after picking up a copy of their breathtaking new gatefold LP entitled 'Sospesi Nel Vuoto Bruceremo In Un Attimo E Il Cerchio Sara Chiuso'. The first thing I said was, "This is a 4-piece? No fuckin' way." Yes way. They may only have 4 members but these Italians will beat you into submission with their bass-heavy, chaotic and venomous style of hardcore that incorporates elements of crust, black-metal, grind and maybe even a bit of metallic screamo.

Songs like "Supernova", "Fuga", "D'istanti" and "L'accecante Guida" are full-blown bangers. Do not expect niceties with these tracks as well as the remaining 11 that make up one of the angriest sounding records I've heard in quite some time. "Supernova" was the song that I included on the June 2014 Mix #6 because it's got everything I love about the band, pummeling drums, breakneck breakdowns, post-hardcore dreamy riffing, screaming and Italian shouting. This is also probably the best song on the record. "Fuga" is a perfect example of STORM{O}'s dark and violent side, which permeates the album and is the defining sound of the band, at least in my opinion. "D'istanti" injects some ambient/spacey elements into the mix, with the most interesting section of the song being after 1:40 when the band includes a very cool/trippy riff that works as the perfect instrumental interlude. "L'accecante Guida" expires before the 90-second mark because it's fucking intense. The wailing licks and spoken word lead way to an awesome bass-heavy breakdown that is more than just a simple chug dealy.

STORM{O} does experiment with different sounds, as "Delle Nostre Vite Appese" is a much lighter sounding song with elements of bands like Pastel and Vi Som Alskade Varandra Sa Mycket while "Meditazione Sulle Eterne Massime- Parte I - Le Cose Peggiori" could easily be likened to The Power And The Glory as well as Converge's spacier moments on 'No Heroes' and 'Axe To Fall'. "Respiro" is primarily an acoustic number with bass and drums coupled with partially spoken/strained/screamed vocals. On the opposite end of the spectrum, the 40-second "Aspettandone Uno Vivo" is by far the wildest and most intense song on this recording. The album doesn't have any let downs and is as consistent as I'd want from any band. I absolutely love the aggression and anger on this album, which really shines through and their chaotic bursts remind me of Europe's Zann and Trainwreck, as well as Japan's Tetola93.

The band's first self titled EP is okay. The band was still maturing, and the members were certainly interested in making the music faster and more complex than their later material, which is obvious in their more simplistic approach of Psyopus meets Jungbluth with a hint of Enkephalin. It's decent but doesn't hold a candle to the band's new material - although those looking for speed and craziness will find it here. Oh, and vocals that sound what I would expect a bat crossed with a pterodactyl to sound like.

The 2009 split (with whom? I have no idea) is the stepping stone from the first to the latest record as the vocals are on par, but the instrumentals still dabble in the extremely mathy, almost Psyopus meets Botch territory. I love those bands, but it doesn't suit STORM{O} as much as the subdued, dark and heavy hardcore that they have since perfected.

To sum up the band's sound, STORM{O} have expertly harnessed dark, crusty, grinding, complex and unrelenting hardcore. With unbridled enthusiasm and aggression, the band mixes the serene with the explosive. The instrumentals come across like slabs of concrete with intricate and beautiful designs etched into their indestructible foundation. That's a pretty complex sum-up. My bad. But I posted about STORM{O}, so my good. Even Steven.

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DISCOGRAPHY

2007 - Storm{O} cassette/12"LP (donate/download here)

2009 - Split with ? (I don't know!) 7" (donate/download here)

2014 - Sospesi Nel Vuoto Bruceremo In Un Attimo E Il Cerchio Sara Chiuso cassette/12"LP (donate/download here)

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(2014) STORM{O} - "Supernova" (from ''Sospesi Nel Vuoto Bruceremo In Un Attimo E Il Cerchio Sara Chiuso'')

(2014) STORM{O} - "D'istanti" (from ''Sospesi Nel Vuoto Bruceremo In Un Attimo E Il Cerchio Sara Chiuso'')

(2014) STORM{O} - "Meditazione Sulle Eterne Massime - Parte III - L'accecante Guida" (from ''Sospesi Nel Vuoto Bruceremo In Un Attimo E Il Cerchio Sara Chiuso'')

(2009) STORM{O} - "Abbandono La Mia Volontà" (from 'Split' 7")

(2007) STORM{O} - "Quando Non Ci Sei" (from 'Storm{o}')

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STORM{O} additional links

Bandcamp

Facebook

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∞ (aka EIGHT)

Band: ∞

Genres: Punk / Rock / Post-Hardcore / Screamo / Black-Metal / Sludge / Thrash / Noise / Experimental / Ambient
Related artists: N/A.
Country: Jyväskylä, FINLAND
Years Active: 2006-present
Song: "Elä Sinä Minusta"
Album: "Nayt Kauas"
Year: 2012
Label(s): Self Released
This post's artist is from the May 2014 Mix. This is track #1.
You can download the May 2014 Mix#6 right here or get the new July Mix#7 here.
For fans of: A Day In Black And White, Shirokuma, Daitro, Envy, La Parade, Viva Belgrado, Trachimbrod, Via Fondo, Vi Som Alskade Varandra Sa Mycket, Rainmaker, June Paik, Ravin, Carrion Spring, Loma Prieta, Orchid, Curl Up And Die, Angel Eyes, Bokanovsky, City Of Caterpillar, Pelican, Eaves and Gantz aka PROPER Screamo.

If "Elä Sinä Minusta" aka track 1 from the May 2014 Mix #6 didn't knock you on your ass when you heard it for the first time (whether or not you heard the song beforehand is irrelevant) then, simply put, you are reading the wrong blog. Look at that fucking For fans of list. Look at it! Jesus Achoo Christ I don't really need to say anymore, do I? Ah, I'll say a bit.

The band's strongest track from their debut LP is "Colossal", a condensed version of what the band moved towards on their 'Näyt Kauas' album, although not necessarily as engaging. Generally the band plays slow, screamy, post-hardcore with a focus on sludgy black-metal.

'Näyt Kauas', on the other hand, is the album that really blew my socks off. There are 3 tracks in particular, which I will discuss briefly.

Track 1 = "Elä Sinä Minusta" is the perfect introduction. This short and driving track pairs swirling spacey guitars with soft, ambient and melodic riffing before switching ... at the 50-second mark. At this point the song takes on an Envy/Via Fondo sound and sets the stage for the rest of the album.

Track 2 = "Hetki Jolloin Emme Tienneet Mitään Toisistamme" 
If you don't contort your body to the beginning of this song then you're listening to it wrong, as it has me straining not to hurt someone while I listen. This song hangs like anvil ready to fall, and is crushing with some great, slower, palm-muting sections and a lot of melody amid the noise and strained vocals.
.
Track 4 = "Sinä Näyt Kauas"
This song is massive. The version I have on my computer is actually a trimmed version of the full 14-minute song (mine is 7:30) as parts drag, in my opinion. That being said, the seven minutes and thirty seconds of song that I like, I fucking love. The track is cohesive but expansive, much in the way Angel Eyes or Kowloon Walled City write their music. Expect a lot of peaks and valleys, uncomfortable ambiance and head swaying. The off-timed riffing before 1:40 pops up a few times and is really fucking catchy, as awkward as it may sound at first.

The band is currently working on their 3rd release which might see the light of day this year, if we're lucky. Highly, highly recommended listening.

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DISCOGRAPHY

2011 - ∞ cassetteLP (stream/download/donate here)

2012 - Näyt Kauas cassetteLP (stream/download/donate here)

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(2012) ∞ - "Elä Sinä Minusta" (from 'Näyt Kauas')

(2012) ∞ - "Hetki Jolloin Emme Tienneet Mitään Toisistamme" (from 'Näyt Kauas')

(2012) ∞ - "Sinä Näyt Kauas" (from 'Näyt Kauas')

(2011) ∞ - "Colossal Youth" (from '∞')

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∞ additional links

Bandcamp

Facebook

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COLD CRAVING

Band: COLD CRAVING

Genres: Punk / Rock / Emo / Post-Hardcore / Black Metal / Screamo / Experimental
Related artists: Tel Fyr, Prepared and YENT.
Country: Calgary, Alberta CANADA
Years Active: 2009-present (hiatus)
Song: "Black City"
Album: "Beacons"
Year: 2010
Label(s): Self Released / Eschaton Industries
This post's artist is from the May 2014 Mix. This is track #16.
You can download the May 2014 Mix#6 right here or get the new July Mix#7 here.
For fans of: Fear Before The March Of Flames, Hopesfall, Alexisonfire, In Reverent Fear, Jude The Obscure, Saosin, Continents, Back When, Old Soul, Tel Fyr, Kodan Armada, In Tongues, Callahan and Beloved aka PROPER Screamo.

COLD CRAVING were introduced to me through Will from Tel Fyr, as when I interviewed him he talked to me about his previous band that he joined during the band's 2nd album. Upon first hearing 'Beacons' I was like, "Eh, it's alright." But on repeat listens and a trip to Quebec (during which I sung "Black City" for 3 days straight and drove my wife bonkers) I realized how well structured and balanced this band's recordings were. Oh, and they fucking own when they get crazy, which happens in pretty much every son.

"Riverwards" is an epic and beautiful song that should have been the soundtrack to Lord Of The Rings. The clean vocals on this track really bring Moving Mountains to mind, but the screaming and growling are much more reminiscent of Tel Fyr and (old) Hopesfall. "Oracle", which is from the same EP 'Getting Frostimental', is an opus dips back into their first album 'Beacons' longer, larger and expansive style that I think suits the band best.

"Oath Breaker" jumps back and forth from blazing screamy hardcore to slower (but still heavy) melodic hardcore. It's not like hard part, soft part, hard part, soft part - this, as well as other songs, melt the 2 styles with a plethora of others so they can all be used at any given time. In the end, the better tracks settle into a mish-mash of styles, and remind me most of Fear Before The March Of Flames, Alexisonfire (but crazier) and (good) Hopesfall.

'Beacons', I'd say, has the band's 3 best tracks; "Faithless", "Black City" and "Mythless".
"Faithless" is a fantastic introduction to the band. It starts with some pretty chaotic instrumental post-hardcore before reaching the 1-minute mark and transitioning to a very catchy and melodic midsection that builds until 4 minutes and then at 4:37 the band absolutely floors me with the tone drop in the vocals. So good.
"Black City" begins with back-and-forth vocals over slow, crashing instrumentals. This builds for quite some time, leaving the listener wondering when the song is going to find some footing, which it does right before the 1:30-mark when the clean vocals kick in to give the song some traction. The track builds from there until about 2:20 as the insanely melodic chorus leads way to the slow, ambient break that uses "If it means that much to you, why stay home?" on repeat to guide this passage to the song's cryptic ending. A peculiar but great song. I find myself singing the aforementioned lyrics for entire weekends, it's so catchy.
"Mythless" is a beautiful song like a warm and rainy afternoon. Think Fear Before with more Saosin/Circa Survive vocals and general atmosphere. There's no screaming or hard parts, but it's still good in my books, as every note just seems like the perfect fit.

With the recording of their final output, 'Oilslick', COLD CRAVING's growth from 'Getting Frostimental' is very apparent upon listening to "Rust That Made Me" and the latter half of the title track, "Oilslick". I must caution, as per my experience, that listening to this as background music is not ideal. Without proper focus this album in particular ran together and didn't stand out much. When I really sat down and took it all in I loved it.

If you like your screamy hardcore/metalcore very atmospheric, then crushing, then almost too melodic, I may have just made your day.

You can grab 2 of the band's LPs from their label here. The band hasn't broken up, but from what I can gather there isn't anything in the works for recordings in 2014. Prove me wrong, COLD CRAVING. ...please? At least we've got a Tel Fyr LP in the works.

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DISCOGRAPHY

2010 - Beacons LP (stream/download/donate here)
2010 - Beacons X EP (stream/download/donate here)

2011 - Feckless Son EP (stream/download/donate here)

2012 - Getting Frostimental EP (stream/download/donate here)
2012 - Oilslick EP (stream/download/donate here)

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(2012) COLD CRAVING - "Riverwards" (from 'Getting Frostimental')

(2012) COLD CRAVING - "Rust That Made Me" (from 'Oilslick')

(2011) COLD CRAVING - "Oath Breaker" (from 'Feckless Son')

(2010) COLD CRAVING - "Faithless" (from 'Beacons')

(2010) COLD CRAVING - "Black City" (from 'Beacons')

(2010) COLD CRAVING - "Mythless" (from 'Beacons')

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COLD CRAVING additional link (where you can download their complete discography)

Bandcamp

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AMENRA

Band: AMENRA

Genres: Punk / Rock / Hardcore / Post-Hardcore / Metalcore / Doom / Sludge / Thrash / Stoner Metal
Related artists: Spineless, Kingdom, Blind To Faith, Janez Detd, Liar, Oathbreaker, Black Haven, Hessian, Sembler Deah and Syndrome.
Country: Western Flanders, BELGIUM
Years Active: 1999-present
Song: "Die Strafe. Am Kreuz. Ich Schreibe Eine Bibel In Blut."
Album: "Mass III"
Year: 2005
Label(s): Anvil Of Fury / Impure Musik / Heart On Fire Records / Recap Records / Grave Escape Records / Five Star Recordings / Sound Devastation Records / Music Fear Satan / Witches On Fire / Church Of Ra / Consouling Sounds / Vlas Vegas Records / Anchors Aweigh Records / Smoke And Dust Records / Init Records / Neurot Recordings / Self Released
This post's artist is from the May 2014 Mix. This is track #14.
You can download the May 2014 Mix#6 right here or get the new July Mix#7 here.
For fans of: Cult Of Luna, Neurosis, Rosetta, Buried Inside, Isis, Tephra, Monuments Collapse, Pelican, Finger Of God, Omega Massif, Examination Of The..., Old Man Gloom, Zozobra, Cave In,  The Fall Of Efrafa, Tool, (old) Hopesfall and Amber.

Perhaps I should be upfront - I heard AMENRA for the first time less than 6 months ago. I had seen the name related to many bands that I thoroughly enjoy, so after much procrastination I grabbed their discography. Good call, Aguado. Although I must admit, I'm kicking myself for sleeping on these guys for so long.

AMENRA play epic, crusty, black-metal with doom and post-hardcore influences. They have steadily grown as a massive musical entity from Belgium in 1999 and over the course of more than a decade honed their sound and can be likened to all of the bands listed above in the 'for fans of' section. Occasionally the band opts for some clean singing, and in the early days this ended with disastrous results. Songs like "Dance of the Dead" and "Silent Pause" are diminished as decent songs because I want to bash my ears in when the singing starts. Over time the band learned to harness their strengths, and used clean singing sparingly and at junctures where it meshed with well-thought out melodies (albeit simple and kinda monotonous). There are also some parts sung by a female vocalist whose voice accents the music beautifully. Tracks like "Aorte Nous Sommes Du Meme Sang" and "Die Strafe. Am Kreuz. Ich Schreibe Eine Bibel In Blut" are ridiculous, and work the massive builds of Omega Massif in with the brooding nature of Isis and the ominous and oppressing sounds of Neurosis. Listening to this might increase your "evil" level, though - so watch out.

The strongest track from the band's early days would have to be "Hibernate" from 'Mass I'. This song encapsulates most things the band ends up achieving over the next decade, and was like a rough sketch that actually works better than most songs AMENRA has written.

"Shapeless Pain I" is a decent track that lends itself more to being a faster, screamier song that doesn't let up, let alone insert slow passages. This is a straight up banger and one of the band's shorter ventures.

I don't think it's possible to be more eerie than the swirling instrumental break in "Die Strafe. Am Kreuz. Ich Schreibe Eine Bibel In Blut" a little before the 50% mark, which then leads to a female vocalist trading back and forth with Colin over guitars that remind me a lot of Rosetta.

I find myself crooning the intro of "Ritual" every time I hear the damn thing. "Needle and thread..." is a line I've repeated a few hundred times, at least. This serene intro is broken down and then reassembled as a sweet breakdown/buildup from 4 minutes onward, culminating at the 6-minute mark.

"Razoreater" is another epic song that I find reminiscent of "Die Strafe..." and "Ritual" as it moves like a wave, building on itself before it crashes and the entire process starts over. The conclusion of this song is probably the band's crowning achievement in the "epic" category. Good god.

"Aorte Nous Sommes Du Meme Sang" is my favourite track. It begins sounding nearly akin to Pelican before those haunting Jesu-esque vocals step in to keep the ball rolling. This continues unabated for a good 4 and a half minutes before they unleash the beast, which then runs amok for the remaining 4 and a half minutes.

The last half of "Boden" from the band's newest LP is another absolutely crushing 10-minute track. The third song "A Mon Ame" has blatant Egyptian worship but overall I'd have to say that 'Mass IIII' is my personal favourite.

AMENRA has been releasing a second flurry of splits as of late, with 3 EPs this year alone. None of which I've heard.

So yeah, check these guys out. They're really good but let's not kid ourselves, AMENRA definitely recycle a similar formula. They just do it so damn well.

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DISCOGRAPHY

Click )==>here, here and here<==( to download the majority of the band's discography in mp3 form.

2003 - Mass I cd/12"EP

2004 - 4-Way split (w/Gantz, Gameness and Vuur) cdLP
2004 - Prayers 09+10 12"EP
2004 - Vuur split 7"EP

2005 - Mass II cd/12"EP
2005 - Mass III cd/cassette/12"/2x12"/dvd/LP

2007 - Hitch split 7"

2008 - Mass IIII cd/cassette/2x12"LP

2009 - Afterlife cd/10"EP

2011 - Brethren Bound By Blood 1/3 (Black Heart Rebellion split) 12"EP
2011 - Brethren Bound By Blood 2/3 (Hive Destruction split) 10"EP
2011 - Brethren Bound By Blood 3/3 (Oathbreaker split) 7"EP

2012 - Mass V cd/cassette/12"LP
2012 - Live cdLP
2012 - Brethren Bound By Blood 4/3 (Hussein split) 7"EP

2014 - The Abyss Stares Back Vol. 1 (VVovnds split) 12"LP
2014 - Eleanora split 10"EP
2014 - Treha Sektori split 10"EP

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(2008) AMENRA - "Aorte Nous Sommes Du Meme Sang" (from 'Mass IV')

(2003) AMENRA - "Hibernate" (from 'Mass I')

(2005) AMENRA - "Ritual" (from 'Mass III')

(2011) AMENRA - "Shapeless Pain I" (from 'Oathbreaker' split)

(2012) AMENRA - "Boden" (from 'Mass V')

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AMENRA mp3 downloads / additional links

Facebook

Homepage

2003-2004 (download here)
2005-2006 (download here)
2007-2012 (download here)

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CHUCK BASS

Band: CHUCK BASS

Genres: Punk / Rock / Emo / Hardcore / Screamo
Related artists: N/A.
Country: Kiel, GERMANY
Years Active: 2012-present
Song: "Alba Van Arden Is A Ship"
Album: "Vi Som Alskade Varandra Sa Mycket split"
Year: 2014
Label(s): Zegema Beach Records / Tief in Marcellos Schuld Records / Uncommonwealth / 100 Kilo Herz / HugMe!DIY Records / Chloromethane Records
This post's artist is from the May 2014 Mix. This is track #11.
You can download the May 2014 Mix#6 right here or get the new July Mix#7 here.
For fans of: The Sky Above And Earth Below, Descubriendo A Mr. Mime, My Life With The Spaniard, Arches, Hugs, ¡Silencio, Ahora, Silencio!, The Death Of Anna Karina, Raein, The South, Adobe Homes, La Quiete, Funeral Diner, Fluten, Mr. Willis Of Ohio, Vi Som Alskade Varandra Sa Mycket, Life At These Speeds and Wolves aka PROPER Screamo.

CHUCK BASS is an up and coming band from Germany that play a hard-to-place hybrid of punk, hardcore and screamo. I'd keep an eye on them, as they have been putting out some decent records but I expect them to really hit their mark soon. The songs I've listed below show the promise these guys have. All they need to do is hook into the catchy/melodic moments or embrace the violence.

Some of the tracks on their debut EP are really good, and others are mediocre and leave more to be desired. It's not what the band did wrong, it's what they left out of the song that makes some of those tracks passable. The songs are decent but not memorable. That being said, numbers like "Dare A Leap, Man" and "Free Cake! Free Cake! No Cake. No Cake" break the mold and incorporate some great riffs, structures and an overall feeling of musical completeness.That sounds strange, but prop those 2 songs up against the other 4 on the EP and you may notice quite a difference.

The band's new material from their 7" split with Vi Som Alskade Varandra Sa Mycket has the band making good on the slight improvements needed. "Alba Van Arden Is A Ship" is the perfect mix of the band's punk/skramzy moments and the melodic post-rock/screamo ambient riffing. "Range Of Motion" is a great, driving song that builds and brings to mind their split 7" brethren as well as Descubriendo A Mr. Mime and especially Hugs with that bass riff at the end, if anyone recalls that amazing mathy/jazzy/screamy hardcore band from the mid-2000s. One of the biggest improvements on this recording is the vocals, which were a little thin and lacked personality of some of the band's previous work, and is not the case here.

CHUCK BASS formed in August of 2012, so they are still a really new band and I expect a lot from their future releases. They sound like the bands listed above, but with much more of a basic punk vibe. They have released an EP on cassette, been on a few comps and have a split 7" with Vi Som Alskade Varandra Så Mycket from Sweden and another 4-way-cassette-split in summer of 2014.

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DISCOGRAPHY

2013 - Chuck Bass cassetteEP (stream/download here)
2013 - Marcello's Mixtape compilation cassetteLP (download/stream here)

2014 - Vi Som Alskade Varandra Sa Mycket split 7" (stream/buy here)
2014 - 4-way split (Uragano, Fiesta Bizarra, Urughai) cassette (coming soon)

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(2014) CHUCK BASS - "Alba Van Arden Is A Ship" (from 'Vi Som Alskade' split)

(2013) CHUCK BASS - "Free Cake! Free Cake! No Cake. No Cake" (from 'Chuch Bass')

(2013) CHUCK BASS - "Hayam Wuruk" (from 'Marcello's Mixtape')

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CHUCK BASS additional links

Bandcamp

Blog

Facebook

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***ADOLINA exclusive interview***

Band: ADOLINA

Genres: Punk / Rock / Math Rock / Emo / Shoegaze / Instrumental / Post-Hardcore / Alternative / Indie Rock

Related artists: Megamoto and Unik Ubik.
Country: Mouscron, BELGIUM
Years Active: 1998-present
Song: "Stupid Man Suit"
Album: "The Rabbit Theory split"
Year: 2014
Label(s): Zegema Beach Records / Miyagi Records / Quiet Records / Whosbrain Records / Self Released / Uproar For Veneration / A Tant Rever Du Roi
This post's artist is from the May 2014 Mix. This is track #3.
You can download the May 2014 Mix#6 right here or get the new July Mix#7 here.
For fans of: Drive Like Jehu, KC Milian, Unwound, Shellac, The Paper Chase, Serotonin, Ladder Devils, These Arms Are Snakes, Secret Smoker, Twelve Hour Tour, Frodus, Cyrus Gold, Animal Faces, No Knife, Q And Not U, Ahleuchatistas, Cursive, Native, The Rabbit Theory, Maps And Atlases, Big Dick, The Advantage, Hella and We Are Empire.

Another reason why splits are amazing, this band's split release with The Rabbit Theory (for purchase on ZBR here) were the only reason I had the joy of hearing them.

ADOLINA is a Belgium band that plays late 90s emo, distraught indie/math rock and melodic post-punk this is both driving and passionate. The band doesn't rely on a lot of vocals to carry their songs. Besides having instrumental songs ("Tumult", "Less is More" and "Revolving Doors" to name a few from 'Caldiera'), a fair amount of their other material is instrument-heavy with no vocals for 50-75% of the song. This really helps accentuate the vocals when they do come in, which vary between hoarse yelling and clean shouting. The band utilize lots of clips from what I would assume to be movies, in tracks like "Tumult", "Burnout", "Contrôler et Sévir" and "Code 440") but time them with the music and it's an amazing effect. The bass is at the forefront along with some slow and perfectly timed noodley/twinkly guitars and ominous garage rock palm-muting. The vocals are light and have a fair amount of air underneath, they are not clean and melodic by any stretch of the imagination. Instead, the vocals remind me of Secret Smoker, Native and Human Hands. The palm muting and slow driving instrumentals sound much akin to The Rabbit Theory and KC Milian. While songs like "Revolving Doors" sound like Pelican and especially Grand Detour. The band's new outing has them taking taking on more complex structures and riffing (notable on "Mirador") as well as a refined focus on melody (check "Stupid Man Suit", which also has a great title).

Speaking of checking things out, read the interview I had with the band here and below.

***Click here to read the interview***

The band's LP and split LP, although distanced some years apart, can sound very similar, which isn't a bad thing at all. "Burnout" is a prime example of this as it incorporates some occasional cleaner/less gruff singing with gang vocals. "Mind Curfew" screams Serotonin's later, jagged work mixed with Cursive and Criteria. "Go Slow" sounds like a national anthem! Check dem guitars after the initial riff to hear what I mean. "Revolving Doors" revolves (ha!) around a 3-minute bass riff nestled amid the angular/juxtaposed riffing. "A Year Of Mondays" is as uncomfortable as it is melodic, which brings The Paper Chase to mind. With further dissecting I hear bouncy, almost Tool-esque bass riffs mixed with The Advantage instrumentals and a bit of Rye Coalition punk/rock swagger that lends itself to the uncomfortable but very catchy "A Year of Mondays". "Less Is More" is an great, dreamy, The Rabbit Theory-styled track with no singing but a political clip/rant that is inserted with great care into the song. 2:20-2:40 in "Q&A" instantly brings Maps And Atlases to mind, and kinda sounds like North Of America, but again the vocals throw it off in a different direction, kinda older Native if I'm going to name drop someone.

ADOLINA is a really interesting band with eerie dynamics and odd time signatures that ultimately lead to a very rewarding listen, so I highly recommend checking them out.

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DISCOGRAPHY

2003 - Farrago cdEP

2006 - Influenza EP

2009 - Domovoï cdLP

2012 - Caldeira 12"LP (stream/download here)

2014 - The Rabbit Theory split 12"LP (PURCHASE here)

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(2012) ADOLINA - "Mind Curfew" official music video
CLICK HERE for vimeo video
(2014) ADOLINA - "Mirador" (from 'The Rabbit Theory' split)

(2014) ADOLINA - "Stupid Man Suit" (from 'The Rabbit Theory' split)

(2012) ADOLINA - "A Year of Mondays" (from 'Caldeira')

(2012) ADOLINA - "Revoloving Doors" (from 'Caldeira')

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ADOLINA additional links

Bandcamp

Facebook

Exclusive Interview at ZBR

Full live set
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TWELVE HOUR TURN

Band: TWELVE HOUR TURN

Genres: Punk / Rock / Emo / Hardcore / Screamo
Related artists: True North, The Skorts and Tubers.
Country: Florida, USA
Years Active: 1997-2002
Song: "How To Build"
Album: "The Victory Of Flight"
Year: ?
Label(s): No Idea Records / Brave Noise Records / Push Pull Records / Self Released
This post's artist is from the May 2014 Mix. This is track #6.
You can download the May 2014 Mix#6 right here or get the new July Mix#7 here.
For fans of: Four Hundred Years, Animal Faces, Secret Smoker, The Exploder, Hot Water Music, Fugazi, Soft Floors, Bright Calm Blue, Solid Pony, Anasarca and Old Growth aka PROPER Screamo.

TWELVE HOUR TURN played an early form of punk/screamo that aurally encapsulates southern-tinged emo/screamo of the mid-late 1990s. All of the band's releases were excellent in terms of consistency and each album always had at least 1 track that was mindblowing. The band's songs were generally laden with hip-swaying grooves coupled with screaming and certainly have a lot in common with bands such as I Hate Myself, Animal Faces, Four Hundred Years, Bright Calm Blue and a heavy dose of Hot Water Music's more aggressive material.

'The Victory Of Flight' has some of the band's hardest material, being very screamy and discordant. Much more raw, stripped down and gritty, tracks like "New Snake" are a screamy slap in the face. "How To Build" is probably my favourite TWELVE HOUR TURN song which reminds me of the 2 songs discussed briefly below and has some great lyrics. "This mouse trap built facilitates its builder's station. This mouse trap makes me feel sad and frames a future hollow. Knee jerk? Tear jerk? Cold hearts couldn't care less." Two other great tracks on the cd are the chaotic and pulsating "Second Story" and "A Mouth Of Suitable Size".

"Water Under Bridges Rise" (from 'Perfect Progress, Perfect Destruction')is a cascading Fugazi-esque romp with strained talking/yelling/screaming and a lot of palm-muting, which I'm a sucker for. The song also boasts some serious Hot Water Music-sounding vocals, which is cool because I'm unsure who was influenced by whom. Regardless, it's a great song.

"Preoccupied With The History Department" (from 'Bend Break Spill') is reminiscent of a few newer bands, none more notably so than Toronto's Animal Faces and Soft Floors, who also pump out very playful and rhythmic hardcore.

In the near future I think No Idea is releasing their discography as "The Expense Of Flight", but am too lazy to check further.

If you've never checked these guys out you making a grave mistake. RECTIFY!!!

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DISCOGRAPHY

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

1997 - Twelve Hour Turn (aka America Means Loving One Another) 7"EP

1998 - I Hate Myself split 12"LP
1998 - Engine Down split 7"
1998 - Strikeforce Diablo split 7"

1999 - The History Of Flight cd/12"LP

2001 - Bend Break Spill cd/10"EP

2002 - Perfect Progress, Perfect Destruction cd/12"LP

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(1999) TWELVE HOUR TURN - "New Snake" live video

(2002) TWELVE HOUR TURN - "Water Under Bridges Rise" (from 'Perfect Progress, Perfect Destruction')

(2001) TWELVE HOUR TURN - "Preoccupied With The History Department" (from 'Bend Break Spill')

(1999) TWELVE HOUR TURN - "How To Build" (from 'The History Of Flight')

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TWELVE HOUR TURN out-of-print discography mp3 download

(download here)

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CANVAS

Band: CANVAS

Genres: Punk / Alternative Rock / Folk Rock / Indie Rock / Emo
Related artists: Call It Arson.
Country: New Haven, Connecticut USA
Years Active: 2010-2011
Song: "Everglades"
Album: "Ashes"
Year: 2011
Label(s): Get Young Records
This post's artist is from the May 2014 Mix. This is track #13.
You can download the May 2014 Mix#6 right here or get the new July Mix#7 here.
For fans of: The Get Up Kids, Endor, Waxwing, Rocky Votolato, Criteria, City And Colour, Modern Rifles, Maserati, (newer) Codeseven, Weezer, Harvey Danger, Manchester Orchestra, Aeges, Face Tomorrow and Third Eye Blind.

Waxwing. Waxwing. And more Waxwing meets Desaperacidos and Circa Survive. The instrumentals weave through emo/pop-punk/rock/alternative territory and compliment the vocals well. The vocals (same guy as Call It Arson, I believe) waver, dip, sway and lead the songs with that very powerful croon of his and he even boasts some southern flare. I'm unsure if the flare is intentional or not but holy hell it works. There's even a bit of Silverchair and The Mark Inside on "Everglades" as at times it could be mistaken for a very catchy grunge number with alternative/emo tendencies. "Good Secret" has a chorus that Anthony Green and Rocky Votolato would give a very enthusiastic head nod to. Check out those 2 song below and see if this is for you. It's sugary sweet and I almost dismissed CANVAS for hurting my teeth, but upon a few listens I realized the band, especially the vocalist, warranted additional listens and my undivided attention. Although I only spin a few tracks from their album, they were well worth checking out.

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DISCOGRAPHY

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

2010 - La Lechuza EP

2011 - Ashes 12"LP (PURCHASE the 12" on their bandcamp page here)

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(2011) CANVAS - "Everglades" (from 'Ashes')

(2011) CANVAS - "Good Secret" (from 'Ashes')

(2010) CANVAS - "Two Color Fade" (from 'La Lechuza')

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CANVAS out-of-print discography mp3 download

(download here)

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OAKEN

Band: OAKEN

Genres: Metal / Rock / Ambient Rock / Post-Hardcore / Post-Metal / Metalcore / Noise / Experimental
Related artists: N/A.
Country: Budapest, HUNGARY
Years Active: 2012-present
Song: "Redeemer"
Album: "Marnost split"
Year: 2014
Label(s): Zegema Beach Records / Middle Man Records / IFB Records / Dingleberry Records / Bookhouse Records / Black Lake Records / Galt House Records / Antithetic Records / Catanarchy Records / Dzsukhell Rekords / Itai Records / Music For Liberation /Prejudice Me Records / Rotten Raven / THC+DIY Records
This post's artist is from the May 2014 Mix. This is track #9.
You can download the May 2014 Mix#6 right here or get the new July Mix#7 here.
For fans of: AmenRa, Amber, Locktender, Old Man Gloom, Buried Inside, Examination Of The..., Doomriders, Lone Wolf And Cub, Tephra, Rosetta, Gantz, Gray Ghost, Tusk, Castle, Isis, Totem Skin, Angel Eyes, Tel Fyr, Gojira, Lentic Waters, Medusa, Back When, Snowblood, Kowloon Walled City, Giant, Monuments Collapse, Mataburro, Celeste, Iscariote, Titan, Swarm Of The Lotus, Llynch, Burnt By The Sun, The End, Curl Up And Die, Lara Korona, Disappearer, Sundowning, From A Second Story Window, Intronaut, Nic, Into The Moat, Johnny Truant, Knut, The Ocean, Spires, and Mares Of Thrace.

OAKEN hail from Hungary and will fill any void left by bands such as AmenRa, Totem Skin, Old Man Gloom and Amber, albeit with more experimentation, desolation, anger and 1.5 drum kits. Over their 3 years releasing music OAKEN has 3 releases, which I will talk about relatively briefly.

Marnost split
"I Am The Crucifix" is more punishing than the band's other contribution to the split 12". Clocking in at 7:22, it ultimately kicks your ass for the first 2 minutes before settling into a slower groove reminiscent of Isis and AmenRa until the 3:15-mark when we are ushered into a dark and dank church for some satanic sounding shit. I'm not usually one for growling, but the back and forth between higher screaming and gutteral, bestial sounds fit in a way where any other style would seem out of place and are kind of reminiscent of Totem Skin's dual vocal attack.

"Redeemer" is my favourite OAKEN song of all time. This 10-minute masterpiece starts out slower and right before the 3-minute mark the band delves into some serious AmenRa territory with slow, plodding and serene/dark instrumentals with some great female singing. The song really goes all over the place, but never without justification, as the structure of the song is very impressive and each transition seems not only like the next logical step, but they take that step with a lot of thought and careful consideration. After the clean singing the song rolls back into a valley of demonic growls and a bass-heavy breakdown. At 6:30 the OAKEN boys even bring in some chanted vocals which have an Old Man Gloom and Examination Of The... feel to them over Rosetta/Isis/Mono sounding spacey riffs. Fucking epic stuff.

I should also mention that I love the packaging for this release. So much black. As it should be...as it should be. One more thing, Zegema Beach Records will not release anything harder than this. This is as hard as I can do!
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Locktender / Wounded Knee / Coma Regalia split
The reason why I decided to help out with the 'Marnost split' was because the previous year I had stumbled across their '4-way split' with Locktender, Wounded Knee and Coma Regalia, which contained the exclusive track "Zugló". It's a great song and contains many the eclectic changes throughout the song. I think the band was able to harness the raw and aggressive power of this older material and really evolve it on the 2014 split into a thicker and more epic black/crust/post-metal group that retains the harmonious nature of the varying genres contained therein. At 3:54 the song rips off one of the best sections the band has ever done, as the Amber/Pelican-esque guitars are layered with both vocalists spewing rage to the max. It's also over 11 minutes long.
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The Hunter
The first song released by OAKEN was their 2012 song "The Hunter", which is my favourite track after "Redeemer". This is a vast and sprawling 11+ minute piece of work that is much lighter on the ears than the band's later material. At times it feels less cohesive than other songs, but this loose arrangement allows for a rawness that captures the emotions of band members in a stripped-down and honest way that isn't represented on later material. There also isn't much, if any, growling.
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Below are some words that came to mind while listening to OAKEN and writing this review:
-sinister
-eclectic
-eerie
-haunting
-beautiful
-scary as shit
-dogs barking
-fucking hardcore, man
-crushing
-pulverizing
-melodic
-massive
-raw
-music for a soundtrack
-layered
-textured

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DISCOGRAPHY

2012 - The Hunter (stream/buy here)

2013 - Locktender / Wounded Knee / Coma Regalia 4-way split 12"LP (PURCHASE here)

2014 - Marnost split 12"LP (PURCHASE here)

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(2014) OAKEN - "Redeemer" (from 'Marnost' split)

(2013) OAKEN - "Zugló" (from '4-Way' split)

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OAKEN additional links

Bandcamp

Facebook

OAKEN / MARNOST split 12"

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