ED GEIN

Band: ED GEIN

Genres: Punk / Hardcore / Grind / Metal / Screamo / Emo-violence / Skramz / Math Metal / Sludge / Thrash / Noise / Grunge
Related artists: ?.
Country: Syracuse, New York USA
Years Active: 2002-2005 / 2011
Song: "Beautiful Corpses"
Album: "Mutation comp"
Year: 2003
For fans of: Daughters, Destroyer Destroyer, Phoenix Bodies, .gif from god, Advocate, Fall Silent, Euth, (early) From A Second Story Window, Pig Destroyer, The Locust, The End, Genghis Tron, Reversal Of Man, Bucket Full Of Teeth, Combatwoundedveteran, Graf Orlock, Discordance Axis, Hive Mind, Owen Hart, Usurp Synapse, The Great Redneck Hope, Bleeding Kansas, The Avenging Disco Godfathers Of Soul, Oktober Skyline, (early) Curl Up And Die, Furnace, Cassilis, Enkephalin, Orchid, Tyranny Of Shaw and Crestfallen aka PROPER SCREAMO.

Label(s): Hex Records / Black Market Activities / Shock Value Records / Good Fight Music
This post's artist is from the October 2016 Mix. This is track #3.

You can download: the October 2016 Mix#10 right here or get the new November 2016 Mix#11 here.

ED GEIN was a band I saw hyped pretty hard back in the early 2000s. I ended up picking up the band's 2005 releases which included the fantastic 'Judas Goats & Dieseleaters' LP and the 2002-2003 compilation gatefold 12" 'It's a Shame... + 3 Song Demo'. I got some solid kicks out of these releases but I never fell in love with the band. Then, in 2006 (I think), I saw ED GEIN close a Storm The Bastille, Phoenix Bodies and La Quiete show in Cleveland and my wife and I were flabbergasted. As only a three-piece, the amount of noise concocted was overwhelming. Not only that, but all three members shared vocal duties! The bassist gets out those deep bellows while the guitarist has the mid-range scream. The drummer, my god, the drummer. He somehow destroys his kit and does most of the screaming which is high pitched and a little pukey (yes, pukey). After 2005 the band dropped the techy grind/metal style and moved onto slightly more straightforward punk and hardcore with their 2011 comeback 'Bad Luck'.

So, basically ED GEIN had three stages. The first was from 2002-2003 with lightning fast tech/grind/screamo/metal. The second was in 2005 with a thicker, bass-driven sound that sounds absolutely massive and dirty as fuck. The aforementioned 2011 LP is rooted in punk and hardcore with a sludgy, metal aftertaste.

The early material is pretty awesome. The 'Demo' sounds like a cross between The Avenging Disco Godfathers Of Soul screamo/grind and Fall Silent metal. By the following year (2003) ED GEIN released the extremely influential 'It's a Shame a Family Can Be Torn Apart By Something as Simple as a Pack of Wild Dogs' LP. The two winners on this piece of chaos are the pulverizing "You Suck at Life...and I'm not Talking About the Board Game" which must have influenced Oktober Skyline as well as some newer bands (Richmond, VA I'm looking in your direction) and "The Marlboro Man is a Douche Bag" which begins like a seizure and eventually convulses into some catchy ass breakdowns 47 seconds in. There's also a very jammable Nirvana cover of "Very Ape" that closes the LP as a secret track. In 2003 the band also included two unreal songs on the 'Mutation' compilation released by Robotic Empire, with "Beautiful Corpses" taking the cake as one of, if not the, best ED GEIN song.

2005 saw the rerelease of their 2002 EP and 2003 LP on gatefold 12" vinyl at around the same time as their evolutionary 'Judas Goats & Dieseleaters' full length. This sarcastic, angry, witty and booming record begins with the menacing and manic beats of "Robert Flaig" that is somehow balanced with a bunch of slower, very deliberate shifts into breakdown territory. "Christianity as Foreign Policy" is an onslaught of prodigious bass drops and multiple vocalists screaming back and forth that make this the standout of the record. "Bastard" is relentless and has some Graf Orlock and Furnace going on while "A Conflict of Interest" packs a similar wallop but in the very limited time span of 1:05 and includes a sweet shift halfway through the song. "The Wool is Pulled" sounds like Enkephalin and goes fucking ballistic with breakdowns that surface from subterranean depths at the 1:36 mark, Closer "Guilty as Charged" has a lot of instrumental work that is akin to Bleeding Kansas. The entire song kicks ass and encapsulates everything that makes this a great record, especially with all three members taking part in the screaming.

After some kind of a hiatus, ED GEIN dropped a surprising LP in 2011 following six years of inactivity in the new output department. 'Bad Luck' is pretty good but it doesn't do nearly as much for me as their earlier material. The hardcore punk is still very ED GEIN sounding, but the drummer dropped his screamy vocals (and vocals altogether, for that matter), the lightning speed was slowed down a tad and they shed the deep breakdowns. I must say, "The Wraith" is a fucking killer song but I find the rest of the record doesn't live up to this early track reminiscent of Phoenix Bodies with very catchy lyrics of, "The Wraith, The Wraith. You must face The Wraith. If you lose the race, you die." It might sound a bit cheesy but goddamn I love this shit.

So there you have it. Grind, metal, hardcore and punk. It's all covered in the ED GEIN discography. Enjoy!

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

2002 - Demo cdEP

2003 - It's a Shame a Family Can Be Torn Apart By Something as Simple as a Pack of Wild Dogs cdLP
2003 - Mutation cd/10"LP compilation (contributed "Beautiful Corpses" and "The Ever So Familiar Face of the Devoured")

2005 - Judas Goats & Dieseleaters cd/12"LP
2005 - It's a Shame... + 3 Song Demo 12"LP

2011 - Bad Luck cd/12"LP

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(2002) ED GEIN - "Bathed in Orange" (from 'Demo')

(2003) ED GEIN - "Beautiful Corpses" (from 'Mutation' comp)

(2003) ED GEIN - "You Suck at Life...and I'm not Talking About the Board Game" (from 'It's a Shame...')

(2003) ED GEIN - "The Marlboro Man is a Douche Bag" (from 'It's a Shame...')

(2005) ED GEIN - "Christianity as Foreign Policy" (from 'Judas Goats & Dieseleaters')

(2005) ED GEIN - "Guilty as Charged" (from 'Judas Goats & Dieseleaters')

(2005) ED GEIN - "The Wool is Pulled" (from 'Judas Goats & Dieseleaters')

(2011) ED GEIN - "The Wraith" (from 'Bad Luck')

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ED GEIN out of print mp3 discography download / additional links

(download here)

Myspace

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***мятеж Tour Diary - Day #5 Swamp Fest 2016 Day #1***

SWAMP FEST - Day #1

Date: August 13th, 2016

Location: @Strange Matter in Richmond, Virginia

Players: Supine, Vein, мятеж, Empty Vessels, Weak Wrists, Coma Regalia, What Of Us, Clean Girls, Drugs Of Faith and The Catalyst

Genres covered: punk, rock, emo, screamo, emo-violence, hardcore, metal, metalcore, powerviolence, thrash, noise

Consensus: This fest is fucking amazing. I traveled all the way from Canada for it and it did not disappoint!

Related Distro items: Swamp Fest tape / zine, What Of Us/Coma Regalia split 12"s

Details: listed below

SUPINE

I'd never listened to SUPINE before but they were a great opening act. The chaos was jarring and I thoroughly enjoy their sound. I also met them and they were super nice so I'm extra stoked to hear what they produce next!

Bandcamp

Facebook

VEIN

VEIN fucking destroyed. Holy shit this was intense. Everything about this band is massive, heavy and intimidating. In my recent .gif from god interview (linked here) it was discussed about how the two bands will likely be releasing a split 7" in the near future. If that happens look the fuck out. Oh yeah, their sound. The band plays a destructive combination of metallic hardcore, metal and screamo that's kind of like Converge and Psyopus meet Enkephalin.

Link to song *2*

Bandcamp
Facebook

мятеж

This was our last show of our little min-tour and it was definitely our best set. I felt quite confident about how we played everything and despite being on a stage I was still able to have a good time. Chris knelt down and gave an open heart talk about being out of music for over a decade and how inspiring the Richmond scene was. There was even a teacher who pulled him aside after the show and thanked him for his words about the arts community. Jazzi (from Van Hagar) filmed the entire thing, as did Mitchie (from .gif from god/Truman/Samarra/etc.) but Jazzi had closer shots so I've used those. Thanks to everyone who watched us play, it was an amazing experience that I will never forget. <3

Full Set linked here
1 - June and July, Life Over Die

2 - That Ain't the Frickin' Christmas Star

3 - Stunning Advancements in Revolution

Bandcamp

Facebook


EMPTY VESSELS

This two-piece punk/hardcore/screamo/noise outfit followed us and were great. Both members provide vocals and the guitar/drums combo is surprisingly thick and full. If you haven't seen them and have a chance to, don't miss that show! Seriously, the amount of energy will floor you.

Links to songs *2* / *3*

Official Site
Facebook

WEAK WRISTS

I'd be lying if I said that WEAK WRISTS didn't steal the show, because by golly, I'd go as far as saying they stole the goddamn fest. This set was so good it was ridiculous. The mixture of metallic hardcore and emo-violence should be right up most readers' alley. I should also mention that I was asked to help out with their full length and couldn't due to monetary restraints, but upon seeing their set I wish I'd sold some personal records in order to release their phenomenal debut. It's two months later and I still can't get over how good this was.

Links to songs *2* / *3* / *4*

Bandcamp
Facebook

COMA REGALIA

Will this be the legendary COMA REGALIA set? Probably. Shawn and Brad were accompanied by Tom Schlatter on bass and Jon from Ostraca/.gif from god on drums. It was amazing. Just watch the video already.

Links to songs *2* / *3* / *4*

Bandcamp
Facebook

WHAT OF US

Despite two of the three vocalists being nearly unable to talk before the set due to "losing their voices", WHAT OF US sounded fucking amazing, as per usual. They tore through their set and definitely garner a lot of attention when playing, as all heads generally turn to see what all that fantastic noise is. Easily one of the best American bands around and if you haven't picked up their 12" split with Coma Regalia do so here.

Links to songs *2* / *3* / *4*

Bandcamp
Facebook

CLEAN GIRLS

This eclectic three-piece from New York are a trip, playing some kind of post-punk/noise hybrid. I happened to catch the song "The Blade" from the Swamp Fest 2016 tape compilation (linked here).

"The Blade"

Bandcamp
Facebook

DRUGS OF FAITH

Another three-piece followed, this time Northern Richmond's DRUGS OF FAITH. The band played punk/thrash/hardcore/powerviolence from what I picked up and have releases spanning almost 15 years!

Official Site
Facebook

THE CATALYST

I've been a massive THE CATALYST fan for over a decade, as I bought 'Mariana's Trench' on 12" a very long time ago. I never dreamed that I'd be playing the same show as them. Plus, they utilized two drum kits for a few songs, which was crazy to see, especially considering they played one of my favourite songs, "Too Big to Fail" which is the video embedded below. Perhaps it's also worth noting that I saw some fella walk into the venue with a Litany For The Whale shirt and I fucking lost it and got his attention (I was stuck behind a row of merch tables) so he came over. I basically pointed at his shirt and said, "Holy fuck, where did you get that shirt. That band was amazing." to which he replied, "My band toured with them and they're awesome." I didn't quite put two and two together, so I asked him, "What band do you play in?". He responded with, "The Catalyst," and I nearly exploded with joy. True story. A fantastic reunion, and hopefully there will be more to come!

"Too Big to Fail"

Links to songs *2* / *3* / *4*

My Space

Facebook

BYMYSIDE

Band: BYMYSIDE

Genres: Punk / Post-Rock / Hardcore / Emo / Emotive Hardcore / Screamo / Skramz / Ambient
Related artists: ?.
Country: Cesena ITALY
Years Active: 2012-present
Song: "E Ancora... Quanto Vorrei Odiarti"
Album: 'Affogare, Risalire, Ricadere'
Year: 2016
For fans of: Raein, La Quiete, Øjne, Monte Ida, Endless Inertia, Via Fondo, Rainmaker, Suis La Lune, Shizune, Youth Novel, Mothlight, Pastel, Yo Sbraito, Killed By Malaise, Altar Of Complaints, Döda Löv, Ogni Giorno, Careless, Matsuri, Viva Belgrado, The Third Memory, Vi Som Älskade Varandra Så Mycket, Trachimbrod and Ravin aka PROPER SCREAMO.

Label(s): Self Released / Rubiyat Records / Blessed Hands Records / Dreamgorrila Records / Entes Anomicos / Tadzio Records / Samegrey Records / Santapogue Media / Pundonor Records
This post's artist is from the October 2016 Mix. This is track #8.

You can download: the October 2016 Mix#10 right here or get the new November 2016 Mix#11 here.

Francesco from BYMYSIDE sent me their 2014 release in early 2016 and I was pretty stoked upon hearing it. A few months later they released the phenomenal Italian screamo record titled 'Affogare, Risalire, Ricadere' and I've been a massive fan ever since.

The 2014 cd release is solid, especially for a debut. The six songs (seven if you include the secret track) showcase the style crossfade from the band's beginnings to their next phase. Songs such as "Resa", "Violence" and "Fine" are stellar tracks with the perfect mixture of beauty and anger but the others sound mediocre in comparison.

BYMYSIDE's 2016 12"LP 'Affogare, Risalire, Ricadere' is eight tracks of Italian screamo so intertwined and cohesive that they have raised the bar for active bands playing this style. "E Ancora... Quanto Vorrei Odiarti" opens the record and once 1:02 hits those entrancing Italian/Raein guitars lift the song into primo screamo territory. "Convinzioni Che Crollano" is a bit longer, weighing in at 3:52 and jumping all over the place, from soft, serene bits to lightning fast chaos. "Non Siamo Più Ciò Che Eravamo" starts out like an instrumental jam and eventually brings on the screams as 1:17 hits, and I don't think the Italian powerhouse Shizune is a far off comparison on this one. "Forme Geometriche Nel Buio Che Ci Circonda" is another fantastic example of what makes this band so good, as the track never really gets all that heavy and it may sound soft at some points but it's always wavering in between those two extremes. The spacey and mesmerizing midsection eventually brings the song to a close, but only after you've been transfixed on a calming and beautiful view of the entire galaxy. "Aurora" follows and keeps the atmosphere flowing...or should I say seeping, out of the speakers, as the instrumental song floats around for two minutes with only guitars and bass weaving in and out of each other. "Tutto Resta Uguale" sounds like later Raein and La Quiete so I expect a few frequenters here to shit their pants while jamming this killer track. "Utopia Di Ogni Giorno" is the cream of the crop, holy fuck. This gem of a song gets going right off the bat and doesn't slow down until after 20 seconds while they do a fantastic Via Fondo and Øjne take on screamo. What does that mean? It means there's a lot of clean guitars and overlapping semi-solos that should tickle the fancy of most readers here. Closing this LP is "Come Dovrei Oppormi?" which does so in very Monte Ida (instrumentals) and Pastel (vocals) fashion. In its 3:36 time span it rides a driving and repetitive sound that fizzles out after two minutes and is replaced with a dreamy outro.

If all of that doesn't entice you in the least, then you're reading the wrong blog. BYMYSIDE, see you again in this year's top albums.

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DISCOGRAPHY

2014 - La Negazione Della Realtà cdEP (stream/donate/download here)

2016 - Affogare, Risalire, Ricadere 12"LP (stream/donate/download here)

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(2016) BYMYSIDE - "Utopia Di Ogni Giorno" (from 'Affogare, Risalire, Ricadere')

(2016) BYMYSIDE - "E Ancora... Quanto Vorrei Odiarti" (from 'Affogare, Risalire, Ricadere')

(2016) BYMYSIDE - "Tutto Resta Uguale" (from 'Affogare, Risalire, Ricadere')

(2014) BYMYSIDE - "Violence" (from 'La Negazione Della Realtà')

(2014) BYMYSIDE - "Resa" (from 'La Negazione Della Realtà')

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BYMYSIDE additional links

Bandcamp

Facebook

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***WORST DAYS exclusive album premiere***

WORST DAYS exclusive EP premiere for 'Separation Anxiety'

For fans of: Left Astray, Euth, Converge and Crestfallen

I've been talking to Matthew Morale quite a bit on Facebook over the last year or two and he has been sending me tracks from the band he does vocals for, WORST DAYS. Right away I was a fan, but the five new songs he sent me last week are fucking killer. The power and abrasiveness of the new EP 'Separation Anxiety' is undeniable. I'll be reviewing the band's full discography next year, so I'll just talk about the album premiere and each song in a more general sense.

This compact, dense and unstable EP tears through five songs in only five minutes. The opener "A Previous Knowledge of Self Destruction" delivers a devastating initial blow in only 1:39, which happens to be the longest track on here. The title track "Separation Anxiety" mixes in what might be considered a softer and more melodic section, but by the end everything's chaotic and heavy as fuck. "Mutilated Thoughts" is a mathy midsection that harkens bands such as Enkephalin and The Minor Times and newer bands like Euth and Machina Genova. "Feeble Minds" clocks in at 39 seconds but travels through at least five, dark, hardcore passages before closing up shop. The closer "It's Easier to Destroy Than Create" opens with a driving rhythm and a weird little breakdown that explodes at 30 seconds moves to lightning speed by 45 seconds and opts for zero vocals. Truly a fantastic and pulverizing EP to which I've embedded the opener "A Previous Knowledge of Self Destruction" for your listening pleasure above and all of the new songs below. Be a sweetheart and please check out the WORST DAYS bandcamp page and support these fine Providence fellas.

And now...a plethora of links:

Bandcamp

Facebook

Premiere of "A Previous Knowledge of Self Destruction"

Premiere of "Seperation Anxiety"

Premiere of "Mutilated Thoughts"

Premiere of "Feeble Minds"

Premiere of "It's Easier to Destroy Than Create"

Live Montreal show from Aug 2016

21ST AGENDA, THE

Band: THE 21ST AGENDA

Genres: Punk / Hardcore / Grind / Metallic Hardcore / Metalcore / Sludge
Related artists: ?.
Country: Red Deer, Alberta CANADA
Years Active: 2014-present
Song: "A Streetcar Named Disaster"
Album: "The 21st Agenda EP"
Year: 2016
For fans of: Cassilis, Seventeen Again, Norma Jean, The Chariot, Ed Gein, Boak, (older) Botch, Lamantide, Machina Genova, Lavotchkin, Perth Express, The Expectorated Sequence, I Am Your Curse, Barque, (newer) Bleeding Kansas, The Bled, Every Time I Die and In The Name Of Havoc.

Label(s): Self Released
This post's artist is from the October 2016 Mix. This is track #4.

You can download: the October 2016 Mix#10 right here or get the new November 2016 Mix#11 here.

Just last month I was sent the new THE 21ST AGENDA self titled EP in the old OMSB email inbox. I was quite surprised and taken with the pulverizing metallic hardcore from my country's more eastern side. The band from Red Deer, Alberta in Canada released a single song in 2014 called "Words of the Nameless" which must have been a teaser for the new record, but damn that's a lot of time in between. Regardless, the song is a good indicator of what the future material was going to sound like and although it's a decent, heavy and punishing ordeal it doesn't hold a candle to the band's 2016 material.

So, let's talk about the 2016 material aka 'The 21st Agenda EP' cd. The "Intro" and "Outro" of the EP are mostly noise/ambient tracks which aren't my forte. Come track two we are introduced to a more laid back and patient version of the band with "Blind/Sighted" that crawls along with heavy, subdued anger. Track three is a clearer representation of what the band has to offer as "Caustic" cuts through the listener in a mere 1:41 chock full of breakdowns, screams (both low and high) and dirty blasts of grind and metalcore. But oh boy, next up is the absolutely stellar "A Streetcar Named Disaster" which is a moshy hardcore beast laden with crunchy riffs and blazing little solos that was the catalyst for me doing this review. Seriously, really fucking good song. "Grace (Disgrace)" follows with 3:43 of eerie and menacing metallic hardcore that leads into the rerecorded version of 2014's "Words of the Nameless". The last non-ambient track on here is track 7's "Asphalt" and it's a fucking doozy. The darkness, speed and ferocity make this the band's most devastating song recorded thus far and it rivals "A Streetcar Named Disaster" for the best track on the record.

There you have it. An excellent debut release by a relatively unknown and young Canadian punk/hardcore/metal band. My hat's off to you, good sirs. Well fuckin' done.

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DISCOGRAPHY

2014 - Words of the Nameless cd single (stream/donate/download here)

2016 - The 21st Agenda EP cdEP (stream/donate/download here)

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(2016) THE 21ST AGENDA - "A Streetcar Named Disaster" (from 'The 21st Agenda EP')

(2016) THE 21ST AGENDA - "Grace (Disgrace)" (from 'The 21st Agenda EP') music video

(2016) THE 21ST AGENDA - "Asphalt" (from 'The 21st Agenda EP')

(2016) THE 21ST AGENDA - "Caustic + A Streetcar Named Disaster" (from 'The 21st Agenda EP') live video

(2014) THE 21ST AGENDA - "Words of the Nameless" (from 'Words of the Nameless')

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THE 21ST AGENDA additional links

Bandcamp

Facebook

Merch

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ENDLESS INERTIA

Band: ENDLESS INERTIA

Genres: Punk / Hardcore / Emo / Emotive Hardcore / Screamo / Skramz
Related artists: ?.
Country: Forli ITALY
Years Active: 2004-2007
Song: "Vis Donc, Damne"
Album: "Oktiabr' Novembre"
Year: 2006
For fans of: Crocus, Маяк, Raein, La Quiete, Lakmé, Ogni Giorno, (older) Standstill, Pastel, Eaglehaslanded, Viva Belgrado, Gli Altri, Her Breath On Glass, They Sleep We Live, June Paik, Yo Sbraito, Killed By Malaise, Acabah Rot, Descubriendo A Mr. Mime, Chuck Bass, Am I Dead Yet?, Det Är Därför Vi Bygger Städer and Danse Macabre aka PROPER SCREAMO.

Label(s): Sons Of Vesta / Grab The Stars
This post's artist is from the October 2016 Mix. This is track #2.

You can download: the October 2016 Mix#10 right here or get the new November 2016 Mix#11 here.

I first heard of ENDLESS INERTIA through a trade with Shove Records in Italy. I forget who the band was likened to that made me trade for a few copies, but I'm sure it was Raein and La Quiete, as they are also Italian. Their 2006 LP is fantastic. In 2007 they released their final material and it was underwhelming.

Looking first at the debut 'Oktiabr'/Novembre' full length, it's pretty good. There is a plethora of melodic and chaotic screamy hardcore songs but nothing tops "Vis Donc, Damne", which is by far the band's crowning achievement. Not only that, but no other songs even comes close to this shining beacon of anthemic European screamy hardcore thanks to the latter half of the track encapsulating a perfect climb to the 1:41 climax of screaming amidst swirling guitars and a dreamy solo that is downright titillating. I can't say enough about this song, fuckin' serious.

Looking next at the 2007 compilation of dead songs (as far as I can tell, at least) titled 'Epica Trapassata E Futura' that houses six lackluster songs, but only when compared to the band's previous endeavors. The primary problem for me is the vocals, which abandoned all screams and resorted to talking over the music. And the music, well, the music is still pretty sweet but the recording quality extracts a fair amount of the punch that ENDLESS INERTIA had with 'Oktiabr'/Novembre', thus leaving the release sounding empty, and unfinished.

While writing this review I stumbled across a Youtube video of a 2005 ENDLESS INERTIA cdEP that I can only assume is a demo, considering the first track is repeated on the 2006 LP. Regardless, this 13-minute thing is well worth a listen, is much more enticing than the 2007 material and is very Danse Macabre and early Raein. Although the quality isn't the greatest, I've made the video into mp3s that are included in the full discography mp3 download linked below.

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

2005 - Nient'altro Che Polvere cdrEP (stream here)

2006 - Oktjabr'/Novembre cdLP (buy cd here)

2007 - Epica Trapassata E Futura digitalLP (stream/download here)

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(2005) ENDLESS INERTIA - "4" (from 'Nient'altro Che Polvere')

(2006) ENDLESS INERTIA - "Vis Donc, Damne" (from 'Oktjabr'/Novembre')

(2006) ENDLESS INERTIA - "555 Spettatori Coscienti" (from 'Oktjabr'/Novembre')

(2006) ENDLESS INERTIA - "Espiazione Dell'incomunicabilita" (from 'Oktjabr'/Novembre')

(2007) ENDLESS INERTIA - "La Bohème" (from 'Epica Trapassata E Futura')

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ENDLESS INERTIA out of print mp3 discography download / additional links

(download here)

Bandcamp

Facebook

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RED SPAROWES

Band: RED SPAROWES

Genres: Punk / Rock / Post-Rock / Post-Hardcore / Post-Metal / Ambient / Grunge / Shoegaze / Experimental / Instru-metal / Prog
Related artists: Isis, The Nocturnes, Halifax Pier, Pleasure Forever, LaGrecia, Marriages, Made Out Of Babies, The VSS, Bad Powers, The Drowning Season, Blind Spring, Taiga, The Gersch, Windmills By The Ocean, Bound, Jail Weddings, Tarot Bolero, The Morrisons, Jasta 14, MGR, The (Fallen) Black Deer, 5ive, Cable, Crone, House Of Low Culture, Or Rathol Nok, Spylacopa, A Storm Of Light, Battle Of Mice and Angel Hair.
Country: Los Angeles, California USA
Years Active: 2003-present
Song: "Buildings Began to Stretch Wide Across the Sky, and the Air Filled with a Reddish Glow."
Album: "At the Soundless Dawn"
Year: 2004
For fans of: Pelican, Godspeed, You! Black Emperor, Mogwai, Maserati, Town Portal, Isis, Ornaments, Glasir, Explosions In The Sky, Grand Détour, Finger Of God, Palms, Jesu, Omega Massif, Russian Circles, Gifts From Enola, Black Clouds, If These Trees Could Talk, Shy, Low, Merridew, Mono, Boris, Tides From Nebula, 5ive and Tomydeepestego.

Label(s): Self Released / Robotic Empire / Neurot Recordings / Conspiracy Records / Hypertension Records / Daymare Recordings / Sargent House
This post's artist is from the October 2016 Mix. This is track #10.

You can download: the October 2016 Mix#10 right here or get the new November 2016 Mix#11 here.

RED SPAROWES are an offshoot of the band Isis that I've been into since the mid-2000s. If you can imagine the softer side of Isis mixed with Godspeed, You! Black Emperor and Mono you are there. The ambient post-rock, post-hardcore and maybe even a touch of post-metal draw out pretty long songs that are engaging but rarely, if ever, take a trek to breakdown town like their contemporaries and the other instru-metal bands I've listed above. The layered, chill and driving instrumental post-rock is nothing less than soothing waves of awesomeness. I've found myself much more enthralled by the band's early work which I would posit covers 2004-2006. Every release is pretty long and requires some dedication to get through but each album also (generally) includes at least one stellar song, with my favourites being "Alone And Unaware, The Landscape Was Transformed In Front Of Our Eyes." and "Buildings Began To Stretch Wide Across The Sky, And The Air Filled With A Reddish Glow." ('At the Soundless Dawn'), "I Saw the Sky in the North Open to the Ground and Fire Poured Out" ('Gregor Samsa split'), "The Great Leap Forward Poured Down Upon Us One Day Like A Mighty Storm, Suddenly And Furiously Blinding Our Senses." ('Every Red Heart Shines Towards the Red Sun') and "A Hail of Bombs" and "A Swarm" ('The Fear is Excruciating, But Therein Lies the Answer'). As you now know, the band also uses very long song titles, with a prime example being track 6 from 'Every Red Heart Shines Toward the Red Sun' which it called "And By Our Own Hand Did Every Last Bird Lie Silent In Their Puddles, The Air Barren Of Song As The Clouds Drifted Away. For Killing Their Greatest Enemy, The Locusts Noisily Thanked Us And Turned Their Jaws Toward Our Crops, Swallowing Our Greed Whole".

I think that's all I really need to say. If you wanna chill out and let some music carry you away to a far off land, this is your shit, right here.

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DISCOGRAPHY

2004 - Demo EP
2004 - At the Soundless Dawn cd/2x12"LP

2005 - Gregor Samsa split cd/12"EP

2006 - Every Red Heart Shines Toward the Red Sun cd/2x12"LP
2006 - Oh Lord, God of Vengeance, Show Yourself! cdLP
2006 - As the Black Wind Withers in the Sky, We are Graced Dimly Our Dreams / Black Tar Prophecies Vol. 1 (split w/Grails) 12"LP
2006 - Triad (split w/Made Out Of Babies and Battle Of Mice) cd/2x7"EP

2008 - Aphorisms 12"EP

2010 - The Fear is Excruciating, But Therein Lies the Answer cd/12"LP

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(2004) RED SPAROWES - "Untitled" (aka "Alone And Unaware, The Landscape Was Transformed In Front Of Our Eyes." demo version) (from 'Demo')

(2004) REàD SPAROWES - "Buildings Began To Stretch Wide Across The Sky, And The Air Filled With A Reddish Glow." (from 'At the Soundless Dawn')

(2005) RED SPAROWES - "I Saw the Sky in the North Open to the Ground and Fire Poured Out" (from 'Gregor Samsa' split)

(2006) RED SPAROWES - "The Great Leap Forward Poured Down Upon Us One Day Like A Mighty Storm, Suddenly And Furiously Blinding Our Senses." (from 'Every Red Heart Shines Toward the Red Sun')

(2006) RED SPAROWES - "I Will Love The Light For It Shows Me The Way. I Will Embrace The Darkness Because It Shows Me The Stars." (from 'As the Black Wind Withers in the Sky, We are Graced Dimly Our Dreams / Black Tar Prophecies Vol. 1')

(2008) RED SPAROWES - "We Left The Apes To Rot But Find The Fang Grows Within" (from 'Aphorisms')

(2010) RED SPAROWES - "A Hail of Bombs" (from 'The Fear is Excruciating, But Therein Lies the Answer')

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RED SPAROWES additional links

Bandcamp

Facebook

Website

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PROCEDURE, THE

Band: THE PROCEDURE

Genres: Punk / Hardcore / Metallic Hardcore / Metalcore
Related artists: Thursday, Helcaraxe, Purpose and Between The Wars.
Country: Montclair, New Jersey USA
Years Active: 2003-2009
Song: "Confirmation of My Fears"
Album: "For Janus"
Year: 2003
For fans of: Shai Hulud, Time In Malta, Warship, In Pieces, Beloved, Poison The Well, Alexisonfire, (early) Thrice, Hopesfall, Training For Utopia, Foredirelifesake, Jude The Obscure, Arcana Cain, Grade, Together and Thursday.

Label(s): Self Released / Blackout! Records / Eyeset World Records / War Machine Records
This post's artist is from the October 2016 Mix. This is track #7.

You can download: the October 2016 Mix#10 right here or get the new November 2016 Mix#11 here.

Back in the early 2000s I was still in a big metallic hardcore and the whole sing/scream thing. I was all over Thrice and Thursday, Poison The Well and Hopesfall...all that stuff, so when I heard that a former member of Thursday was starting a new metallic hardcore band I nearly wet myself. As soon as their debut 7"EP was released in 2003, 'For Janus', I picked up a numbered out of 400 copy (if my memory serves correct) and transferred it immediately to mp3. It's not all that different from the bands that I already mentioned, but the raw feel of this EP is pretty sweet, as is the music. The title track "For Janus" is a pretty sweet metallic hardcore song with many a breakdown and a few clean vocals amidst the screaming, while "Confirmation of My Fears" takes the cake as the best song the band ever wrote and this demo recording in particular is vastly superior. The song starts with some metalcore palm-mute plus breakdown and screaming but by 30 seconds in we have clean singing amidst the heaviness which has also slowed down a wee bit and is less crushing with a tad more melody. There is a short instrumental slow jam smack dab in the middle of the song which builds and slides back into the chorus again just after the two-minute mark and exhausts itself completely by 2:29. I'll never forget jamming this song in the car on a mix cd and my brother was beside himself with glee.

In retrospect it's still a good release but I tried going through their future material with the conclusion of  1) didn't think it was very good, as well as 2) don't really listen to this style anymore.

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DISCOGRAPHY

2003 - For Janus 7"EP (download here)
2003 - Rise of New Reason cdLP

2004 - Last Show cdrEP

2005 - Shift Pacific cdLP

2009 - The Ancestor's Tale cdLP

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(2003) PROCEDURE, THE - "Confirmation of My Fears" (from 'For Janus')

(2003) PROCEDURE, THE - "For Janus" (from 'For Janus')

(2003) PROCEDURE, THE - interview

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THE PROCEDURE out of print 'For Janus' mp3 EP download

(download here)
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***MOTHLIGHT exclusive interview***

Band: MOTHLIGHT

Genres: Punk / Hardcore / Emo / Emotive Hardcore / Screamo / Emo-violence / Skramz
Related artists: Yusuke, Gas Up Yr Hearse!, The Inbetweeen Days, Heavy Boots and Sough.
Country: Chicago, Illinois USA
Years Active: 2013-2016
Song: "Immutation"
Album: "Tour Tape"
Year: 2016
For fans of: Polina, Yusuke, Dowager, Loma Prieta, Matsuri, Lion Of The North, Mustaphamond, Youth Novel, Forget Me Not, Gillian Carter, Oriana Raeo, Birthday Boyz, Eyelet, For Want Of, Voyage In Coma, Altar Of Complaints, Cease Upon The Capitol, People's Temple Project, Carrion Spring, We Were Skeletons, Ostraca, Kodan Armada, Isodora Crane, D'Amore, A Company Of Heroes, Gospel, Beau Navire, Deers!, Fault/s, Guidelines, Itto and Apostles Of Eris aka PROPER SCREAMO.

Label(s): Self Released / Middle Man Records / It's A Trap Records
This post's artist is from the October 2016 Mix. This is track #9.

You can download: the October 2016 Mix#10 right here or get the new November 2016 Mix#11 here.

I found out about MOTHLIGHT a few years back when a friend by the name of Thom Carney sent me his band's material for this blog. I enjoyed the material immensely but waited for a premiere before reviewing the band. When I was offered the premiere I didn't have the time to write up a discography review or post all the links, etc. so I held off. Then the band ended. But, as I still speak to Thom quite regularly. he agreed to do a post-humus interview about his time in MOTHLIGHT and a few other tidbits of information.

In 2013 the band released their demo tape called 'Memento'. These four tracks were excellent debut songs and "House Of Salt" and "Monument" really spoke to me, as the first was the heaviest yet catchiest and the second had some mad Polina and Matsuri vibes going on. The following year they were involved in a killer '4-way 10" split' (which you can buy here!) and contributed two fantastic, albeit short, songs titled "Cold Brewed" and "Ever Green" which showed a thicker, heavier side of the band. By 2016 and their final 'Tour Tape' EP the band had moved in an even heavier direction, most likely influenced by Yusuke (Thom's other band), Itto (fellow Chicagonians) and Guidelines (Thom's band crush...and mine too). These four songs are the strongest and definitely the ones worth checking out first if you haven't heard of MOTHLIGHT before.

As I stated above, I was lucky enough to get to premiere a song from the band's final release, the 2016 'Tour Tape' which is, for lack of a better word, ballin'. The following excerpt is from my review of said tape in said premiere, linked here, and below that is my interview with Thom Carney from the now defunct band.

"'Fiction Becoming Reality' starts the tour tape off in a disjointed yet melodic fashion. The screaming and jazzy chaos weave in and out until the halfway point and then some slower but no-less epic instrumentals lead way to the final 20 seconds which have the song imploding in on itself. Song two is called 'Immutation' and it gets going just before the 30-second mark and is a fucking stellar track. The lead guitar on this isn't too far from Gillian Carter and Neil Perry territory which does a hell of a lot more than tickle my fancy. After the craziness subsides at a little over a minute the song is led by rolling drums and heart-beating bass which culminate at 2:20 in fantastic fashion until the close at 3:08. The last new song is called 'Drawing Out the Dead Ends' and it was my pick to post as a premiere because it's unbelievably good. By 2:58 MOTHLIGHT dismantle a lot of screamy hardcore booby traps by showcasing some truly intriguing and engaging music that jumps all over the proverbial board of genres. You've basically got one minute of amazing screamo, a minute of softer ambient stuff and then a final minute of utter annihilation. "House of Salt" is the only non-new song on here, but it was re-recorded for this release."

1) Who are you?

I'm Thom, I played guitar and did vocals in mothlight.

2) Tell us about your musical history including how you got hooked on music, who introduced you to new stuff and what bands you've played in.

When I was a young teenager I was really into metalcore and post-hardcore and, like a lot of people my age, eventually found screamo through the internet and the liner notes in cds (mostly Thursday albums). Now I mostly find new music from blogs and friends telling me about music or posting about it online, as well as seeing bands at shows. I've played in a few bands that never really did much, but the notable projects I've been a part of, aside from mothlight, are Yusuke and Gas Up Yr Hearse!

3) Why the name Mothlight?

The name mothlight was chosen by our original vocalist. I think he just thought it sounded cool, but we found out that it was also the title of an experimental short film, which made us like it more. It doesn't have much significance beyond that, which I somewhat regret, but I think we could have certainly done a lot worse.

4) What were the primary influences and motivation for Mothlight?

Mothlight was a vehicle for a group of friends to play music together that was different from what most of us had done before. I think some of the common influences musically were local bands like Lord Snow, Itto, Lautrec, and Suffix, as well as more well known screamo bands such as Raein, Loma Prieta, Matsuri, and La Quiete. Also, the four of us that were in mothlight at the end all love My Chemical Romance.

5) How did the band and sound evolve from the Momento EP to the Tour Tape?

There was a lot of time between our first release and our last. In that time, we got a new drummer, and lost a vocalist, going from a 5 piece to a 4 piece. I think we all became better at our instruments and more proficient at writing together. Our musical goals also shifted, the last songs that we wrote were consciously "heavier" with more instrumental sections, which was due in part to no longer having a standalone vocalist. We had gone on tour, seen new bands together, as a group, and had more musical common ground in the end, despite our tastes all changing somewhat from when the band had started.

6) Did you play many shows or go on any tours? What show was your favourite?

We played a decent amount of shows throughout our time as a band, but towards the end weren't playing many locally. We went on two small tours, one of which was cut short, unfortunately. My favorite show was definitely the first Swamp Fest.

7) Can you please reveal something about Mothlight that people are not aware of outside of the band?
Somewhere, there's an unreleased mothlight song from the original lineup that we all hated and didn't do anything with.

8) What are you listening to nowadays that deserve shout outs?

Recently I've been listening to Black Marble, Merchandise, Sade, Rainforest Spiritual Enslavement, Eros+Massacre, and Envy. Special shout out to the new Ostraca and .Gif From God songs that haven't been recorded. Samarra too.

9) You just moved to Richmond, Virginia. I saw you at Swamp Fest. How was that? What's it like living there now? What else is on the horizon for Thom Carney as well as his musical endeavors?

Swamp Fest this year was really good, just like last year. I didn't play this time, but it was still a great time. I've been loving Richmond, I have so many friends here and it's cheap enough that I haven't had to get a job yet. I have two new projects that are currently writing and rehearsing, another in the planning stages, and I've been working on electronic music by myself. Hoping to keep busy between all that, recording bands, and doing design work for bands.

10) Is there anything you'd like to say, whether it be personal, social, political, etc?
Thanks for interviewing me and posting about mothlight. We weren't a very political band, but it would be remiss of me to not take this opportunity to remind everyone to support those being oppressed, both in our local scenes and otherwise. Especially if you're a white guy, like me, and don't experience the disadvantages that other people do.

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

2013 - Memento cassetteEP (stream/donate/download here)

2014 - 4-Way split 10"EP (w/Coma Regalia, Marcy & Flesh Born) (stream/donate/download here) [purchase here]

2016 - Tour Tape cassetteEP (stream/buy here)

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(2016) MOTHLIGHT - "Immutation" (from 'Tour Tape')

(2016) MOTHLIGHT - "Drawing Out the Dead Ends" (from 'Tour Tape')

(2014) MOTHLIGHT - "Ever Green" (from '4-Way' split)

(2013) MOTHLIGHT - "Monument" (from 'Memento')

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MOTHLIGHT out of print mp3 discography download / additional links

(download here)

Bandcamp

Facebook

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