ABHINANDA

Band: ABHINANDA

Genres: Punk / Rock / Hardcore
Related artists: Refused, Text, Demon System 13, Insurgent Kid, Sänkt, Separation and Final Exit.
Country: Umeå SWEDEN
Years Active: 1993-1998, 2004 and 2009
Song: "La Musica Continua"
Album: "The Rumble"
Year: 1998
Label(s): Desperate Fight Music / Trust No One Recordings / Locomotive Music / Alliance Trax Music
This post's artist is from the January 2014 Mix. This is track #11.
You can download: the February Mix#12 right here or get the new March 2015 Mix#1 here.
For fans of: 59 Times The Pain, Refused, Straight Faced, Earth Crisis, The Bronx, Gorilla Biscuits, Rusty, Raised Fist, 88 Fingers Louie, Randy, Hot Water Music, Avail, Aussitot Mort, Rye Coalition and Unbroken.

This will be a short review because this was a band I dug back in my "punk" heyday. I discovered ABHINANDA while cross-referencing Refused when I was into them big time back in the late 1990s and these guys were the closest thing to that classic Umeå sound that the legendary Refused made a household name. ABHINANDA was a relatively simple punk/hardcore band that sounded like old Refused crossed with 59 Times The Pain, Gorrilla Biscuits and Earth Crisis. Upon releasing their last proper record 'The Rumble' in 1998 featuring Kristofer from Refused sounded a lot like his more popular band's final recording 'The Shape of Punk to Come' mixed with newer American rock/hardcore like The Bronx. 'The Rumble' has two standout tracks in my old-ass opinion, titled "La Musica Continua" and "Junior". The former is the closer and strongest song on the album which includes strings and could definitely be likened to "Tannhäuser-Derivé" while the latter is an angry and danceable number that leans more towards The Bronx. I just listened to the band's earlier material and wasn't very impressed. My wife even said, "Who is this? Turn it off" and she loves 'The Rumble'. So there you have it.

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DISCOGRAPHY

1993 - Darkness of Ignorance (stream in full on youtube here)

1994 - Senseless cd/12"LP (stream in full on youtube here)

1995 - Neverending Well of Bliss cdEP

1996 - Abhinanda cd/cassette/12"LP (stream in full on youtube here)

1998 - The Rumble cdLP (download here)

1998 - Unbroken split 7" (stream their contribution on youtube here)

2009 - Kizuna cd discography compilation (includes new song "Still United!")

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(1998) ABHINANDA - "La Musica Continua" (from 'The Rumble')

(1998) ABHINANDA - "Junior" (from 'The Rumble')

(1996) ABHINANDA - full album 'Abhinanda'

(1994) ABHINANDA - full album 'Senseless'

(1993) ABHINANDA - full album 'Darkness of Ignorance')

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ABHINANDA additional links

Check the discography section, I'm fuckin' lazy

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ALTAR OF COMPLAINTS

Band: ALTAR OF COMPLAINTS

Genres: Punk / Rock / Hardcore / Emo / Emo-Violence / Screamo / Ambient / Skramz
Related artists: Cease Upon The Capitol, Sightblinder, Karoshi, Dawn, Van Hagar, Nut Collector, Bzrk, Chasm of Teeth, Subjects/Rulers and Dolcim.
Country: Nashville, Tennessee USA
Years Active: 2011-2014
Song: "Twinkle"
Album: "A Sea of Decency With Some Swells of Greatness"
Year: 2012
Label(s): Self Released / Meatcube Label
This post's artist is from the January 2014 Mix. This is track #4.
You can download: the February Mix#12 right here or get the new March 2015 Mix#1 here.
For fans of: A Flower Kollapsed, Orchid, The Flying Worker!, Endamori, ...Who Calls So Loud, GRYSCL, Cease Upon The Capitol, Ampere, Congratulations, Youth Novel, Carrion Spring, Cold Craving, Dolcim, Crows-An-Wra, Delos, Captain, Your Ship Is Sinking, Moonasi, Via Fondo, State Faults, and Loma Prieta aka PROPER SCREAMO.

ALTAR OF COMPLAINTS were a band I only found out about because one of the members emailed me back in 2013 after I first started the blog. Jesse is his name, and goddammit I love that guy. If you ever have him recommend a band to you, get the fuck on that because he has a near immaculate record with me. Back to his band, I remember seeing dreamo and ALTAR OF COMPLAINTS and almost passing outright on it for such silly, irrelevant reasons. I didn't start doing this blog until 2013, but had I started in 2012 you bet your sweet ass the band's debut/only full length 'A Sea of Decency With Some Swells of Greatness' would have been on the best of list.

"Twinkle" is probably the best song the band recorded. It's just fucking fantastic. The twinkly and spacey beginning eventually condenses to the second half (or final minute, as it's only 1:57) with pounding, rhythmic drums, lightning fast strumming from the strings and some immaculate vocal placement on Roy's part. I really love this pattern and it reminds me of Kaddish's new album, which is obviously saying a lot. Another example of exemplary screaming and timing is found on "Valhalla" which boasts a nice back and forth with dual vocals that remind me of Dolcim and The Setup.

"The Two Parts That Go Together" part "1" and "3" both have elements of Orchid and Dolcim. "Part 1" in particular has some serious Orchid/The Flying Worker/Endamori going on as it rolls relentlessly ahead and makes fantastic use of the subdued, clean guitars and slower (but still massive) transitional pieces. Track four has my favourite song title of the past while, "Rhetorical Quest, Son" and is also one of the strongest songs on the album, relying on the heavier side of stuff without being silly hard and definitely retains a strong sense of European screamo. "Why are You Asking Why?" and "This Song is Friggin' Serious" are two more great tracks on a ridiculously impressive debut, with the latter combining so many phenomenal elements I'm generally left drooling on the floor. "Walt's Waltz" is another song that has too many amazing parts to talk about, so just go listen!

"The Power of Complaint Compels You" was an incomplete (mastered-wise) demo had the band experimenting with some lighter instrumentals and harsher vocals, which is pretty cool. The general feel of the songs is a bit different although they still retain their general sound, which makes distinguishing the differences difficult. This track moves along at a pace that is wedged somewhere between the slow jams and chaotic parts of the previous album. That seems to give the track more urgency, but it also flows so well it's kind of relaxing at the same time.

They broke up before my boys in Congratulations were able to play with them back in mid-2014 and I was pretty upset that the band had called it quits after releasing such amazing new material in 2012 and the 2013/2014 demos. Alas, that's what this blog is for, in the case you haven't heard of this amazing band that existed for way too short a time. Download all their stuff from their bandcamp page or if you're feeling lazy I've compiled them all into one zip file to download right heeya.

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

2012 - A Sea of Decency With Some Swells of Greatness cdLP (stream/donate/download here)
2012 - Friday Night at Frazier Electric live digitalEP (stream/donate/download here)

2014 - The Power of Complaint Compels You digital single (stream/donate/download here)

2015 - Stubborn Father / Seek / Thetan split 12" coming this summer from Meatcube Label

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(2012) ALTAR OF COMPLAINTS - "Twinkle" (from 'A Sea of Decency With Some Swells of Greatness')

(2012) ALTAR OF COMPLAINTS - "Walt's Waltz" (from 'A Sea of Decency With Some Swells of Greatness')

(2012) ALTAR OF COMPLAINTS - "Rhetorical Quest, Son" (from 'A Sea of Decency With Some Swells of Greatness')

(2012) ALTAR OF COMPLAINTS - "The Two Parts That Go Together Part 1" (from 'A Sea of Decency With Some Swells of Greatness')

(2012) ALTAR OF COMPLAINTS - "Valhalla" (from 'A Sea of Decency With Some Swells of Greatness')

(2014) ALTAR OF COMPLAINTS - "The Power of Complaint Compels You" (single)

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ALTAR OF COMPLAINTS out of print mp3 discography download / additional links

(download here)

Bandcamp

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***2015 OMSB mp3 Mix #3 (March)***

(((((OPENmind/SATURATEDbrain)))))
March 2015 mp3 MIX #3

 => ***DOWNLOAD HERE*** <=

http://www39.zippyshare.com/v/LoWfRrrc/file.html

...and updates

All I have to say is that the Austin Blood Alliance fest in Austin, Texas was one of the greatest experiences of my life. Expect a big post in February with pictures, videos and personal stories. Enjoy the new mix!

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ZBR STORE

I LOVE YOUR LIFESTYLE 'I Was a Loser in High School' EP

7" (pre-order here)

(listen here)

VIA FONDO 'Efter, Utan Under' LP

12" (order here)

12" + 'Fast' 12" bundle (order here)
(listen here)

SORE EYELIDS 'For Now' EP

12" (order here)
12"+Trachimbrod bundle (order here)

(listen here)

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***Interviews/Live shows coming up for sure:

-Austin Blood Alliance Festival

***Interviews/Live shows posted last month:
-none
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The following page have changes:

-nada
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As always, on or around the 1st of every month, I will be posting a ZIP file with songs for the upcoming month with ALL specifics deleted from the tags, so unless you already know the band, there is NO information regarding each track.

During the following month, I will post reviews for those bands and link the tracks to the review so you can associate the two together. This way you can listen to a new song/band and have little-to-no bias. Below, I have re-posted the February mp3 mix that is used for this month's reviews.

OLD MIX
***2015 mp3 Mix #2 (reviewed in February)***

(http://www39.zippyshare.com/v/pxfhggnU/file.html)

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The new OMSB mp3 Mix #3 is linked below and the 13 tracks will be reviewed in March and has some of the following highlights:

*-* an old sing/scream favourite of mine that still gets me
*-* a crazy synth/black-metal/screamo opening track that'll floor you
*-* the best comedy album I've heard since 2010 besides Pete Holmes' first album
*-* two amazing bands that sent me their stuff a few months back and I adore them, one sounds like Aim Of Conrad and the other Ravin
*-* before the awful Simple Plan was started, the members participated in a fantastic skate-punk band

NEW MIX
NEW => ***2015 OMSB mp3 Mix #3 (reviewed in March)*** <= NEW

(((((http://www39.zippyshare.com/v/LoWfRrrc/file.html)))))

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Any bands/labels that are interested in having their stuff reviewed, please email zegemabeachrecords@gmail.com: with "Open Mind Saturated Brain" as the subject. Please keep in mind that I don't review everything, just what jives with the blog. I will, however, listen to everything you send me.