SORE EYELIDS

Band: SORE EYELIDS

Genres: Punk / Shoegaze / Rock / Emo / Twinkle / Alternative / Ambient / Dreamo / Post-Rock / Post-Hardcore
Related artists: Suis La Lune and Heart On My Sleeve.
Country: SWEDEN
Years Active: 2009-present
Song: "Apart"
Album: "For Now"
Year: 2014
Label(s): Zegema Beach Records / Through Love Recs / Truelove Entertainment / Protagonist Records / Tokyo Jupiter Records / Tell Wilhelm Records / Fasaden Records / Serene Records
This post's artist is from the January 2014 Mix. This is track #12.
You can download: the January Mix#12 right here or get the new February 2015 Mix#1 here.
For fans of: Coldplay, Hum, (newer) Animal Faces, Suis La Lune, I Was Afraid, Trachimbrod, Ira, Stephen Brodsky, Cave In and Sigur Ros.

I'll start this off truthfully - I simply didn't quite get SORE EYELIDS the first time I heard them. How did I first hear about them? Well some may know I fucking love me some Trachimbrod and 2013 saw the two Swedish powerhouses cultivate a split 12" on Through Love Records. I jammed the shit outta that record and was a little perplexed on how I felt about SORE EYELIDS, on one hand I picked up immediately on the dreamy, melodic shoegaze and surrreal atmosphere created by the band, but on the other hand the eclectic mix of punk/rock/shoegaze/twinkle/post-hardcore didn't have me drooling.

Fast forward to the middle of 2014 when the band/Protagonist Records contacted me at Zegema Beach Records about releasing the new SORE EYELIDS 12"EP. I'll be honest, at first I was hesitant because I didn't feel like I "got" the band. Knowing what a rare opportunity something like this was, I sat, holed up in the corner of my home with the six songs that comprise the lengthy record. It took me about three goes before the vocal and instrumental blend finally took me to the heavens and showed me how to properly appreciate the band and their very unique sound. That sound? I'd say it's Coldplay if they became extremely interesting instrumentally with more somber, monotone vocals.

How did others take in SORE EYELIDS? Many seem to fall in love with them almost immediately, as the swirling and almost trippy guitars crave attention while majestically twirling, bouncing and permeating the listeners' eardrums. Songs such as "Next to Nothing" from the split and the tracks "Leaving", "Apart" and "Waste" from the 'For Now' EP are stellar examples of this, with some of the band's stronger vocals. I personally found the vocal evolution from the first, self-titled 12" to the split and EP to be pretty substantial. The slower tracks such as "Dissolve" (split) and "For Now" (EP) showcase some really awesome singing and engaging instrumental work, generally sounding like a very subdued Suis La Lune.

I guess we can probably make a quantum leap here and say that SORE EYELIDS are an amalgamation of Coldplay on speed and Suis La Lune on downers. Because I've spun the hell out of the 'For Now' concept EP, I want to quickly go into a bit more detail as the first two paragraphs may not have sold you on this band, as I was (for some reason) overly skeptical when I first heard the band as I am more of a screamy guy but can certainly appreciate the lighter stuff when I know what to expect.

'FOR NOW' 12" EP
1) "Remain" is an almost 3-minute long song that takes place in a dreamland of somber, twinkling caress, never quite picking up to full speed as it is just a single guitar and vocals that sound like they've dripped down from rain clouds.

2) "Leaving" jumps directly into the band's signature sound of nearly constant speed with an insane amount of melodic instrumental interplay/layering and those sweet, soaring vocals. Easily one of the best songs on the album. I love the guitar licks on this one that seem not to let up for the entirety of the song and culminate at 3:21 and the result is absolutely glorious.

3) "Apart" is the standout here, but not by much. Like the previous song, it weaves a masterful web of sprawling guitar-work from solos to jarring chords that sound like they are subtly testing the fabric of space time and trying to sneak into the fourth dimension. The singing is really good on this song and reaches some Sigur Ros pitches before the guitar/bass romp at 1:32 that drops into a spectacular time shift and epic space riff that melts me every time at the 1:54-mark and again at 3:50. Stunning.

4) "Waste" is the final fast song on the record and it seems fitting to close out the 3-song stretch of quickly paced material. It's probably the speediest of the bunch - at least at the beginning! The song blasts in with some awesome drums before quickly pulling back to a slower but much more expansive sound. The track then dips back and forth between the ambient and the aggressive like a skier weaving the slalom.

5) "For Now" is similar to the opening track but the vocals and song in general are a bit more inviting, as the air of closure and acceptance is displayed quite prominently. This song includes drums and bass, while the first track does not.

6) "En Plats I Ditt Hjärta" closes the 26-minute EP and does so in epic fashion. Clocking in at nearly 7 minutes this song includes some acoustic guitars mixed in for extra flavour; bass solos, dreamy bits, catchy as hell axes, pounding drums and those patented soaring vocals that teeter on emotional tears. I love the acoustic break (almost like a breakdown) at 2:07 that helps spin the song back around in a 180 and leads it back to the start. Another great thing about this track are the vocals that extend into a new realm for the band, as they reach a near-breaking point as the singer is obviously feeling some parts of the song which, in turn, influence me to do the same. "En Plats I Ditt Hjärta" exits like the fading steps of a lover walking away in the snow, soft and distant but audible nonetheless.

As for the first SORE EYELIDS album, some quick thoughts:
-"I Wish I Could Believin' You" has some very frantic-yet-melodic instrumental work that is both spazzy and dreamy simultaneously
-"Can't Breathe" injects more melody and less chaos with much stronger vocals
-"Over" sounds like Ira
"Heart Like a Wishing Well" has great lyrics "23 wasted years. Might as well waste it all."
-"Du Har Glömt Mej" is a good song, but suffers from pretty weak lyrics that the band has since improved upon
-"Capri 2007" is a really cool song that hints at Hum at the very beginning

Canada has their version of SORE EYELIDS in Animal Faces' newer material which fans of the Swedish boys should certainly take a gander at.

Although the genre itself took me some time to get used to, I can definitely say that SORE EYELIDS is the dreamy, post-hardcore, shoegaze band.

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DISCOGRAPHY

2009 - Sore Eyelids demo cassetteEP

2012 - Sore Eyelids 12"LP (stream here)

2013 - Trachimbrod split 12"EP (stream here)

2014 - For Now 12"EP (stream here) and (buy here)

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(2014) SORE EYELIDS - "Apart" (from 'For Now')

(2014) SORE EYELIDS - "Leaving" (from 'For Now')

(2014) SORE EYELIDS - "Waste" (from 'For Now')

(2013) SORE EYELIDS - "Dissolve" (from 'Trachimbrod' split)

(2013) SORE EYELIDS - "Next to Nothing" (from 'Trachimbrod' split)

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SORE EYELIDS additional links

Facebook

ZBR Bandcamp ('For Now')

TLR Bandcamp (Trachimbrod split)

Bandcamp ('Sore Eyelids')

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LENTIC WATERS

Band: LENTIC WATERS

Genres: Punk / Hardcore / Thrash / Doom / Post-Rock / Post-Metal / Ambient
Related artists: Resurrectionists and Ding Dong Dead.
Country: GERMANY
Years Active: 2010-present
Song: "Früh übt Sich (nicht)"
Album: "Planks split"
Year: 2012
Label(s): Zegema Beach Records / Maniyax Records / Dingleberry Records / IFB Records / React With Protest / Apocaplexy Records
This post's artist is from the January 2014 Mix. This is track #1.
You can download: the January Mix#12 right here or get the new February 2015 Mix#1 here.
For fans of: Lamantide, Trainwreck, Perth Express, Converge, Botch, Breag Naofa, Storm{O}, Jungbluth, Alpinist, Achilles, Engineer, Nous Etions, The Minor Times, Rosetta, Monuments Collapse, Hexis, I Not Dance, Protestant, Plebian Grandstand, Rorcal, Oaken, Locktender, Furnace, Gray Ghost, Thumbscrew, Fall Of Efrafa, Alaskan, AmenRa, Takaru and (early) Isis.

LENTIC WATERS were a band I first discovered after picking up their split 12" w/ Planks from React With Protest. I was all over the song "Früh übt Sich (nicht)" so when Old Soul told me that they were doing a split with LENTIC WATERS I was very, very pumped. Getting to work with an amazing band like this gives me tingles. Imagine the epic scope of Rosetta, the dirty/menacing hardcore of Jungbluth and the blazing light of Botch. Woah, that's a pretty accurate and amazing analogy.

"The Plunge" is moody, atmospheric and instrumental music. "Panopticon" is semi-decent, but "Ramschtischgesinnung" and "The Small Boy and the Sea" are bombshells...and the bombs themselves! A few other blistering tracks include "Unendlichkeit" and "Im Herbst Erfroren", although none of the songs really capture the entrancing nature of the band's later material, but if you're looking for pummeling Botch/Converge/Jungbluth styled stuff then this album will probably be your favourite.

"Früh übt Sich (nicht)" from the Planks split, as mentioned above, is what initially got me interested int he band. Claustrophobic at times, massive at others, the darkness starts with an uncomfortable ambient intro that sounds like it's from a horror/sci-fi movie until 1:11 when two screamers go fucking apeshit and the song explodes like Engineer and The Minor Times material. If you have to jam one song, make it this!

I was lucky enough to help release the LENTIC WATERS / Old Soul split 12" last year, which is unreal and you can pick up here. The first track is "Compliments", which starts off in an eerie fashion with a lone guitar swirling around before the drums and bass corral the meandering riff and build that shit until it's logical climax at 1:29 when the vocals slide in with a really slow, sludgy post-rock/hardcore/metal feel to it. This continues for another minute and a half before the song picks up to what I would consider the classic LENTIC WATERS sound. Track two is a brutal and commanding cover of Takaru's "160lbs of Fury" and they, simply put, fucking demolish it. "Asking For It" is probably the band's strongest recorded song to date. The weaving instrumentals touch on soft, almost clean-sounding post-rock riffs and then dip deep into subterranean swings of heavy, sludgy hardcore/metal, much like a condensed version of Monuments Collapse or Rosetta.

LENTIC WATERS made my Best Of 2014 List with their split 12" and the new album is already one on my radar for the 2015 list if they keep on keeping on the way they've kept on. What? Yes.

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DISCOGRAPHY

2011 - Lentic Waters 12"LP (stream/buy here)

2012 - Planks split 12"EP (stream/buy here)

2014 - Old Soul split 12"LP (stream/buy here)

2015 - new 12"LP

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(2014) LENTIC WATERS - "Asking for It" (from 'Old Soul' split)

(2014) LENTIC WATERS - "160lbs of Fury" Takaru cover (from 'Old Soul' split)

(2012) LENTIC WATERS - "Früh übt Sich (nicht)" (from 'Planks' split)

(2011) LENTIC WATERS - "Ramschtischgesinnung" (from 'Lentic Waters')

(2011) LENTIC WATERS - "The Small Boy and the Sea" (from 'Lentic Waters')

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LENTIC WATERS additional links

Bandcamp

Facebook

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BLED, THE

Band: THE BLED

Genres: Punk / Post-Hardcore / Metalcore / Hardcore / Thrash
Related artists: Bury Me Standing, Scathe, Gavin Rossdale, Smoke or Fire, Coma Prevail and Starving Arms.
Country: Tuscon, Arizona USA
Years Active: 2001-2011
Song: "Sound of Sulfur"
Album: "Pass the Flask"
Year: 2003
Label(s): Fiddler Records / Vagrant Records / Rise Records / Ride The Rocket Records / Ambit Records / Sorepoint Records / Distort Entertainment / Staple Records / Workhorse Music Group / Cobraside Distribution Inc.
This post's artist is from the January 2014 Mix. This is track #3.
You can download: the January Mix#12 right here or get the new February 2015 Mix#1 here.
For fans of: Lyed, Since By Man, Lavotchkin, Beloved, This Day Forward, Converge, Bury Me Standing, Poison The Well, Folly, Crestfallen, (old) Cave In, Dillinger Escape Plan, United Nations, Circles Over Sidelights, Alexisonfire, Dispensing Of False Halos, Refused and Versus The Mirror.

Maybe it's because I got into THE BLED and Since By Man at the same time, but I always associated the two with a similar sound. I'd say THE BLED is more metallic hardcore and Since By Man is sassier and screamier. I could probably write a shitload of info and opinions on this post, but I think I'll keep it short (bahahahaha, this did not end up being short!) as from Jan 29th to Feb 2nd I shalln't be posting due to an amazing two day fest that I will be driving to with some buds. So, I'll discuss the first LP in detail as well as those bonus tracks that were included from the band's early work with another vocalist. The last few albums were decent but don't hold a candle to their previous output.

Let's start with their first release 'His First Crush'. I didn't hear this until I bought the bonus songs version of 'Pass the Flask' (and gave my original cd to someone else) and I was floored. This stuff is way more screamy, like almost black-metal/emo-violencey and the instrumentals are much more influenced by Converge and early This Day Forward. "Anvil Piñata" is a great song that boasts a killer intro as well as some violent breakdowns, with "Swatting Flies with a Wrecking Ball" and "Glitterbomb" taking the screamy, metallic hardcore to another level by incorporating some evil, murderous riffs, licks and squeals. I should also mention that the early work has a different vocalist, and that's why the vocals are so different.

The original vocalist also shows up on 'The Bled' single-sided 12" that followed in 2002 and sounds as much like United Nations as it does 'Pass the Flask'. I honestly don't know which vocalist I like more, as this guy really rubs my eardrums the right way. At this point his screams are visceral and truly captivating because there is so much power and emotion behind them. "John Wayne Newton" and "My Cyanide Catharsis" are fucking awesome - the latter showcasing some angelic female vocals during the intro and middle that overlap with the screaming in the background. The track ranks above the others as one of the most sprawling and eclectic songs THE BLED ever did, mixing much slower instrumentals and a proper, structured build to the heavier stuff. This release has a feel not unlike Dispensing Of False Halos, who are another screamy, metallic hardcore band that you should check out if you haven't already.

This was my first stab at THE BLED. I picked it up after hearing two songs from my brother and really liking the melody in the heaviness. So I popped in the 'Pass the Flask' LP (on cd) that was released in 2003  and was completely blown away. It begins with "Red Wedding", which has an unreal breakdown at 2:13 and mixes extremely heavy elements with some post-hardcore melodies. It's a massive song that is one of my favourite opening tracks on any album. "You Know Who's Seatbelt" is more of a typical song off the record but still hits all the right notes and includes a killer chorus, "Let's set our hearts and self-destruct," which has me screaming along every goddamn time. "I Never Met Another Gemini" again mixes post-hardcore and post-metal with some dashes of clean vocals after the two-minute mark, crooning/whispering until 3:08 when the band explodes during its conclusion. "Sound of Sulfur" is one of my two favourite songs on the album, with fantastic metallic hardcore, lots of chugging and additional palm-muting. The chorus has some sweet solo licks amidst the screaming which then builds to a huge breakdown at 1:43 which bleeds (ha) into the best clean vocals the band has ever done, emotionally discharging the line, "I hope I loved you like I did when you needed me. I can't forgive that night."Get Up You Son of a Bitch, Cause Mickey Loves Ya" is the shortest, most aggressive and insane song THE BLED ever wrote, and it easily tied for my all-time favourite, "So get the fuck away from me!" If you listen to one song by these guys make it this one! "Spitshine Sonata" is the last song that really grabs me from this album and is probably the most accessible track as the slower and excellently placed guitar riffs will have almost anyone bobbing along in no time.

I should point out that some members changed after 'Pass the Flask' and it was quite noticeable. This album has so many amazing little guitar riffs and chugs placed to make them insanely catchy, and is truly what sets it apart from every album thereafter. Oh, and the vocals are the most original and well-placed here, also.

Next up, disappointment land. 'Found in the Flood' isn't bad by any means...except that it pales grossly in comparison to the band's previous milestone. Songs like "Hotel Coral Essex", "Guttershark" and "The Last American Cowboy" are the highlights but would be placed at the bottom of the list if they were on 'Pass the Flask'. Pass on this one unless you want everything by the band.

'Silent Treatment' shows the band getting back to their roots and improving on the very underwhelming 'Found in the Flood'. "Platonic Sleepover Massacre" has both softer and harder parts but really smashes you in the face with this one. "Starving Artiste" harkens back to older material and is really good. "Some Just Vanish" is decent, while "Beheaded My Way" is dark and driving, with some sweet lyrical delivery for "We'll have your head. We'll have your head!". "My Bitter Half" closes the album and finishes with some of the heaviest stuff the band has ever produced. A huge step up from that last album.

'Heat Fetish' was THE BLED's final output. Coming in pretty close to 2007's 'Silent Treatment', this record exhausts the last of the band's aggression, anger and self-directed purpose. "Devolver" is the first track and is very reminiscent of 'Silent Treatment' with a dash of "Hotel Coral Essex" and some questionable clean vocals, but a lot of good, heavier stuff. "Smoke Breaks" rolls out deep and depressed with some very deep, gutteral and almost growly screaming and is one of my favourites off the album which reminds me of the Deftones near the end of the track. "Need New Conspirators" is a longer song that ain't too shabby, while "Meet Me in the Bone Orchard" starts like a Poison The Well song, which isn't a bad thing, as the melodic vocals at the beginning are uncharacteristic of THE BLED, but awesome nonetheless. "Crowbait" is another good track that doesn't necessarily stand out, while "Night Errors" busts out more hard and memorable metallic hardcore song with a sick second half that again reminds me of the band's earlier, better work.

I don't know how I feel about the band being done. On one hand they put out more than decent records, it's just too bad they reached their peak with their debut full length. Maybe if we have a timequake they can record 'Pass the Flask' last, with 'Found in the Flood' being the debut. Ah well. If you are looking for a new THE BLED, check out Texas' Lyed, they play a very similar style and kick major ass.

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

2001 - His First Crush cdEP

2002 - The Bled 12"EP

2003 - Pass the Flask cd/12"LP

2004 - Alexisonfire split 7" (song from Pass the Flask)

2005 - Found in the Flood cd/12"LP
2005 - From Autumn To Ashes split 7" (songs from Found in the Flood)
2005 - My Assassin 7" (includes radio session of "Red Wedding")

2007 - Silent Treatment cd/2x12"LP
2007 - Pass the Flask + bonus tracks cd (includes 2001-2002 material + 3 bonus/demo tracks)

2010 - Heat Fetish cdLP

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(2001) THE BLED - "Anvil Piñata" (from 'His First Crush')

(2001) THE BLED - "Glitterbomb" (from 'His First Crush')

(2002) THE BLED - "My Cyanide Catharsis" (from 'The Bled')

(2002) THE BLED - "John Wayne Newton" (from 'The Bled')

(2003) THE BLED - "Get Up You Son of a Bitch, Cause Mickey Loves Ya" (from 'Pass the Flask')

(2003) THE BLED - "Red Wedding" (from 'Pass the Flask')

(2003) THE BLED - "Sound of Sulfur" (from 'Pass the Flask')

(2005) THE BLED - "Guttershark" (from 'Found in the Flood')

(2005) THE BLED - "The Last American Cowboy" (from 'Found in the Flood') official music video

(2007) THE BLED - "Platonic Sleepover Massacre" (from 'Silent Treatment')

(2007) THE BLED - "Beheaded My Way" (from 'Silent Treatment')

(2010) THE BLED - "Smoke Breaks" (from 'Heat Fetish') official music video

(2010) THE BLED - "Meet Me in the Boneyard" (from 'Heat Fetish')

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THE BLED out of print mp3 discography download / additional links

(download here)

"I Never Met Another Gemini" official music video

"You Know Who's Seatbelt" official music video

"Shadetree Mechanics" official music video

"Mouthbreather" official music video

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MATSURI

Band: MATSURI

Genres: Punk / Rock / Emo / Screamo / Hardcore / Post-Hardcore / Skramz
Related artists: ?.
Country: San Jose, California USA
Years Active: 2007-2010
Song: "No Rest for the Rich (cause they're all doing coke)"
Album: "Whales"
Year: 2007
Label(s): Self Released / Texas Toast DIY / Kyeo Speaks / Affinity Index
This post's artist is from the January 2014 Mix. This is track #6.
You can download: the January Mix#12 right here or get the new February 2015 Mix#1 here.
For fans of: GRYSCL, Dear Tonight, Coma Regalia, Deers!, Lion Of The North, Dream Caste, We Were Skeletons, Weakness, Corea, (old) Loma Prieta, Mustaphamond, Saetia, People's Temple Project, Beau Navire, Adaje, ...Who Calls So Loud, Mans, мища, Caught In The Fall and Occam's Razor aka PROPER SCREAMO.

MATSURI wasn't beautiful, or extremely tight, or ridiculously talented. Those adjectives are generally used for bands like Hot Cross, Off Minor and Saetia. What MATSURI were, though, was passionate, emotional and committed to capturing the true essence of their band which comes across as blatantly honest.

I remember hearing their split with Deers! that I stumbled across about five years ago and was like, holy hell, both of these bands are amazing! I ended up scouring online for old physical copies and digital files of stuff that I couldn't find. MATSURI released quite a few releases in a short time and seem to have a very dedicated fan base to this day, even though they broke up a couple o' years ago.

What did they sound like? Imagine GRYSCL, Deers!, Coma Regalia and Saetia slapping each other around and makin' babies. You've got the really soft, late 90's screamo sound with noodley guitars ala Saetia, Caught In The Fall and Mustaphamond coupled with some chaotic parts (usually with underlying melodies and not just craziness) and some great, high pitched (but not overly shrieky) vocals much akin to Deers!, Lion Of The North and Kodan Armada.

Every release that MATSURI pumped out had at least one gem on it, usually numerous. Let's talk about a couple relatively quickly. Their earlier work on 'Whales' include the noodley/epic "No Rest For The Rich (Cause They´re All Doing Cocaine)" and "sweet.tricks@sweet_gaps.com" that are the band's softer and looser material. "Details in the Static (so keep your chin up)" has a pretty obvious Kodan Armada/Dear Tonight vibe in both the instrumentals and vocals. The split with Moldar houses one of the band's best and definitely their longest/most epic song that has hints of Joshua Fit For Battle, City Of Caterpillar and Corea during "Horsemask".

My two favourite releases by the band are the aforementioned 'split with Deers!' and the band's dying gasp and very appropriately titled 'Endship'. From the split, "Kurt Russel" has the band experimenting with harder material and a much more solidified outlook on structure during the writing process. "Fist of Chocolate" takes the aggressive tide straight from the previous track and blasts out one of the band's all-time best songs. Swirling guitars, sweet time changes and the best screams MATSURI has ever offered us, goddamn I love this song. As for 'Endship', it is quite obvious from the get-go of "Open Your Chest (part 1)" that dual vocals are going to kick major ass. This song is fucking epic as shit and clocks in at 4:48 - don't pass up on this one! Some other killer tunes on this LP are "Breathe Out Your Soul (part 2)" and ":", although the entire record is fantastic and reminds me of Loma Prieta's 'Lost City' LP but a bit more relaxed.

Whilst writing this review I stumbled across the band's unreleased single and unreleased cassette and I've been jamming them constantly. Really good stuff that takes 'Endship' to the next level by further harnessing the screamy with the thick progressions and noodley riffs and cutting most, if not all of the filler. From the 'Unreleased Tape' tracks "1" and "4" are my favourites (I've also split and posted the side a/side b as 4 separate tracks if you wanna download it here) and "There is No S in Texas ; Vietnam is a Continent" is really fucking good as well. The live jams are surprisingly listenable and sound as good and sometimes better than the album versions!

If there was something that rubbed me the wrong way, which was rarely, it was some of the clean vocals on the band's earlier work. Let's be honest, there were a lot (and still are) a fair amount of screamo bands that inject singing with vocalists who haven't quite found their voice, and it comes off as both unnecessary and extremely honest in a slightly disfigured, naked kind of way. Some will dislike it and some will love it.

In the end my silly little beef with off-key singing is nearly irrelevant, as the vast majority of songs are fucking awesome. If you haven't dabbled in MATSURI yet and you dig screamo, just download the discography already by going to their bandcamp and donating a few bucks.

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DISCOGRAPHY

2007 - Whales cdEP (stream/donate/download here)
2007 - Deers! split cassetteEP (stream/donate/download here)

2008 - Summer Tour 09 Live at Poo Haus (Moldar split) cdLP (stream/donate/download here)

2009 - Sell My Pipe If You Have To (Moldar split) 12"EP (stream/donate/download here)

2010 - Endship 12"LP (stream/donate/download here)
2010 - Unreleased Tape (stream/donate/download here)
2010 - Unreleased Song (stream/donate/download here)

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(2010) MATSURI - "Untitled 1" (from 'Unreleased Tape')

(2010) MATSURI - "Untitled 4" (from 'Unreleased Tape')

(2010) MATSURI - "Open Your Chest (part 1)" (from 'Endship')

(2010) MATSURI - "Breathe Out Your Soul (part 2)" (from 'Endship')

(2010) MATSURI - ":" (from 'Endship')

(2010) MATSURI - "There is No S in Texas ; Vietnam is a Continent" (from 'digital single')

(2009) MATSURI - "Horsemask" (from 'Moldar' split)

(2007) MATSURI - "Kurt Russel" (from 'Deers!' split)

(2007) MATSURI - "Fist of Chocolate" (from 'Deers!' split)

(2007) MATSURI - "No Rest For The Rich (Cause They´re All Doing Cocaine)" (from 'Whales')

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MATSURI out of print mp3 discography download linked to bandcamp / additional links

Unreleased Tape 4-track mp3 download

Bandcamp

Texas Toast DIY blog

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CAUST

Band: CAUST

Genres: Punk / Hardcore / Emo / Screamo / Skramz / Thrash / Emo-violence
Related artists: Swan Of Tuonela, Kaoru Nagisa, Ostraca (aka Kilgore Trout).
Country: Richmond/Nova, Virginia USA
Years Active: 2011-present
Song: "Bastille House"
Album: "Page Turner"
Year: 2011
Label(s): Middle Man Records / It's A Trap! Records / Moshtache Records / Elicksir Tapes / Aylin Records
This post's artist is from the January 2014 Mix. This is track #11.
You can download: the January Mix#12 right here or get the new February 2015 Mix#1 here.
For fans of: Swan Of Tuonela, Comadre, The South, Colonia, For Want Of, Wolves, Kaoru Nagisa, Ostraca, Combatwoundedveteran, GRYSCL, Weakness, Scowler and Saetia aka PROPER SCREAMO.

Noisy, loose and yet somehow tight and driving, CAUST caught my attention after I tried seeking out all Swan Of Tuonela bands. I won't lie, Swan Of Tuonela is the closest thing to my kinda music outta the two, but CAUST doesn't linger far behind. Songs such as "Bastille House", "Your Father Gave You Good Advice" and "For Myself" have a wonderful soft and hard elements that always end up sounding kinda dirty. The band also dabbles frequently in feedback, much to my wife's dismay.

The band's first song, ironically titled "Ending" is a fantastic and captivating opener to 'Page Turner', CAUST's first release. This is followed by the very melodic and superb "A Smoker's Lair" and then my favourite song by the band, "Bastille House". There's also "Manifest Destiny" which has some great lyrics in the short 50 seconds available, chanting, "there is no god. he has no plan." Word.

I really like 'Mass Graves (We Would Be Better Off)' but not as much as the very accessible first EP. Now that that's out of the way, songs like "Your Father Gave You Good Advice" have beautiful juxtapositions of melody and abrasive chaos. "For Myself" mixes the crazy with some softer moments, while "Book Burner" is sheer power. Maybe I just need to jam this more.

The band's newest release is back from 2013, the split 7" with This Is Not For You. and continues along the darker, heavy path. I've heard rumours that the band was done for, but they have informed me that this is not the case, they are just extremely busy being in a plethora of other bands! Expect new stuff soonish!

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DISCOGRAPHY

2011 - Page Turner cassetteEP (stream/donate/download here)

2012 - Mass Graves (We Would Be Better Off) cdr/cassetteEP (stream/donate/download here)
2012 - Montpellier split cassetteLP (same songs as 'Page Turner')
2012 - Interskramz II comp (contributed "Sallekhana") (listen/donate/download here)

2013 - This Is Not For You. split 7" (stream/donate/download here)

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(2011) CAUST - "Bastille House" (from 'Page Turner')

(2011) CAUST - "A Smoker's Lair" (from 'Page Turner')

(2012) CAUST - "Sallekhana" (from 'Interskramz' comp)

(2012) CAUST - "Your Father Gave You Good Advice" (from 'Mass Graves [We Would Be Better Off]')

(2012) CAUST - "For Myself" (from 'Mass Graves [We Would Be Better Off]')

(2013) CAUST - "White Worm" (from 'This Is Not For You.' split)

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CAUST mp3 discography download / additional links

(download here)

Bandcamp

Facebook

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COLONIA

Band: COLONIA

Genres: Punk / Post-Rock / Emo / Screamo / Skramz / Hardcore / Ambient
Related artists: La Hijas De La Chinga, Se Tu Propio Dios and Ecocide.
Country: San Antonio, Texas USA
Years Active: 2009-2014/hiatus
Song: "Day IV"
Album: "MMXIII"
Year: 2013
Label(s): Self Released / Dead Profit Records / Negative Days / Confrontacion de Ideas / Museo Mutante / Exabrupto Records & Distro
This post's artist is from the January 2014 Mix. This is track #9.
You can download: the January Mix#12 right here or get the new February 2015 Mix#1 here.
For fans of: GRYSCL, Viva Belgrado, Coma Regalia, Leer, Envy, Raein, Øjne, Dear Tonight, In Tongues, Kodan Armada, Yr Slbraito, Ogni Giorgnio, Chuck Bass, El Eje Del MÄl, Улыбайся Ветру, PG.99, Indian Summer, Funeral Diner, Foxmoulder, Yage, The Book Of Dead Names, Corea and For Want Of aka PROPER SCREAMO.

What a weird way to hear a band. Back when I first started this blog I was really getting hard into Tentacles. I saw a post somewhere with the band's facebook profiles and I added them, only to find out someone linked the wrong people. So, I ended up friends with Brian of COLONIA. I heard the band's earlier output and was kind of let down, not in a bad way, I was just hoping for more Tentacles-sounding stuff. I was assured the new EP was different/better as the band members had changed, and boy were they right. The five songs on each of 2013's 'MMXIII' and 2014's 'MMXIV' are excellent. The initial split songs aren't bad, they just scratched the surface of the band's capabilities as they focused more on the direct approach to songwriting, while the latter material is much more expansive, engaging and falls more into the screamo realm than punk/hardcore.

First, the band has both English and Spanish lyrics, both written and screamed. The standout on the 'MMXIII' release is the first track, "Day IV" (all of the songs are labeled as days), starts things off with a mixture of European screamo (think Raein and Ogni Giorgno) and midwestern emo/screamo (GRYSCL and Funeral Diner came to mind quickly) that is like sweet, sweet honey in my ears. The restrained screaming and killer instrumentals continue into track 2's "Day V" and then "Day VI" floats in like a feather dropped heaven, making way for the album's second standout "Day VII" which sounds very post-everything and fucking huge. The closer "Day VIII" is another epic blast that kind of reminds me of a less insane and much more condensed Corea.

COLONIA wasted no time jumping right into 'MMXIV' only a year later with another five killer screamy hardcore meets thrashy punk tunes. These have much more of a Yage vibe, in my opinion. I haven't jammed this one as much as the 2013 release, but it's nearly as good at the very least and rings of Envy and Viva Belgrado eating Spanish pizza crust...you know, cuz it's crusty? Fuck. Anyway, the songs "Dia IX", "Dia XII" and "Dia XIII" are great, with the closer "Dia XIII" being the best track the band has written. Check that shit out on bandcamp.

This band is killer.

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DISCOGRAPHY

2011 - Fruitipunch split cassette (stream here)
2011 - Tour Tape (same as split)

2013 - MMXIII EP (stream/donate/download here)

2014 - MMXIV EP (stream/donate/download here)

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(2013) COLONIA - "Day IV" (from 'MMXIII')

(2013) COLONIA - "Day VII" (from 'MMXIII')

(2013) COLONIA - "Day VIII" (from 'MMXIII')

(2014) COLONIA - "Dia IX" (from 'MMXIV')

(2014) COLONIA - "XII" (from 'MMXIV')

(2014) COLONIA - "XIII" (from 'MMXIV')

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COLONIA additional links

Bandcamp

Soundcloud

Facebook

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