A friend of mine from London bring to my attention this band from Sheffield, England, in 2009 and their debut album entitled “Hysterics” released one year earlier blow off my mind. Define as “progressive hardcore”, labeled as jazzcore, mathcore or simply progressive rock, Rolo Tomassi delivering a fresh and powerful mixture of hardcore, punk, post metal and avant-garde jazz which is quite innovative and brilliant.
The band was formed in 2005 and immediately began to perform at local venues and pubs to small crowds and released some of their first material, a “3 Track Demo” CD, respectively “4 Track Cassette” which they could sell at the shows they were performing at.
After a split EP with Mirror! Mirror! (limited to 333 copies and released through Speedowax) the band signed to Holy Roar Records and released a self-titled EP featuring re-recorded songs from previous demos and EPs along with new songs. Read more Rolo Tomassi – Eternal Youth (2011)
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Garage A Trois – Always Be Happy, But Stay Evil (2011)
Garage A Trois was originally a trio founded in 1998 during the recording of Stanton Moore’s debut album “All Kooked Out!” by Moore, eight-string guitarist Charlie Hunter, and Skerik. The project grown to a quartet, the actual line-up including Stanton Moore (drums), Skerik (saxophone), Mike Dillon (vibraphone and percussionist) and keyboardist Marco Benevento. They play a variety of music including rock, funk and jazz. I stumble into this band a few years ago searching on YouTube for versions of the song by Hendrix “If 6 was 9”. Charlie Hunter it’s a killer guitar player and Moore is a color and powerful drummer, Skerik knows to blow his saxophone, so, Garage A Trois was an exciting discovery. Most widely known as a founding member of Galactic, Moore has also Read more Garage A Trois – Always Be Happy, But Stay Evil (2011)
Tim Berne – Insomnia (2011)
Tim Berne was born in Syracuse, New York in 1954. Twenty years later Berne encountered a saxophonist who was selling his alto, and bought it on impulse. “There was just something about the sound of the saxophone that got to me,” he says. Berne moved to New York in 1974 and began issuing his own albums on his own Empire label in 1979. Over the next five years he would record and distribute five albums under his own name which included such musicians as Ed Schuller, Olu Dara, Paul Motian, John Carter, Glenn Ferris and Bill Frisell. Following two recordings for the Italian Soul Note label, Berne recorded Fulton Street Maul and Sanctified Dreams for Columbia Records. In the late 1990s Berne founded Screwgun Records, which has released his own recordings.
Berne played in band such as: Bloodcount with Michael Formanek, Chris Speed, Jim Black, Marc Ducret; Caos Totale with Mark Dresser, Steve Swell, Bobby Previte, Herb Robertson, Marc Ducret, Django Bates; Big Satan with Tom Rainey, Marc Ducret; Hard Cell with Tom Rainey, Craig Taborn; Science Friction with Tom Rainey, Craig Taborn, Marc Ducret; Paraphrase with Tom Rainey, Drew Gress; Miniature with Joey Baron, Hank Roberts;Buffalo Collision with Hank Roberts, Ethan Iverson, Dave King and BBC Trio with Nels Cline, Jim Black. Beyond his recordings as a bandleader, Berne has recorded and/or performed with guitarist Bill Frisell, avant-garde composer/sax player John Zorn, violinist Mat Maneri, guitarist David Torn, cellist Hank Roberts, trumpet player Herb Robertson, the ARTE Quartett and as a member of the cooperative trio Miniature. Read more Tim Berne – Insomnia (2011)
Agnostic Front – My Life My Way (2011)
The Godfathers of New York Hardcore returning with their tenth full-length studio album, following their previous release called “Warriors” from 2007.
The band was formed by guitarist Vinnie Stigma – formerly of the Eliminators -Â in late 1980. Their debut EP, “United Blood”, released in 1983 on an indie label, has since become a collector’s item. At this time, the band consisted entirely of skinheads, although this would change over time, Agnostic Front would continue to feature skinheads as part of their line-up.
The first album, “Victim in Pain”, was realeased in 1984 and the band went to tour with The Exploited. The album pushed the band to the forefront of New York’s fledgling hardcore scene, which was centered around CBGB’s, where they played with bands like The Cro-Mags and Murphy’s Law.
1986’s “Cause for Alarm” was released on Combat Records, it added thrash metal influences. With other bands such as Suicidal Tendencies and Stormtroopers of Death, this album would mark AF’s foray into the world of crossover thrash. It also featured some lyrics written by Peter Steele and drumming by Louie Beateaux, both of Carnivore, Peter Steel later formed Type O’ Negative. Read more Agnostic Front – My Life My Way (2011)
The King Blues – Punk and Poetry (2011)
Or dub and hardcore. Whatever. But it’s “nice”, even if the world it’s not quite appropriate. Raggae, punk, dub, rock and hardcore are melting into one and The King Blues delivering another album with good pulse and groove, pumping rhythms, punk flashbacks and ska/dub mixture with hardcore attitude.
The King Blues started off in 2004, in London as a two man ska outfit, consisting of Jonny ‘Itch’ Fox playing ukulele and vocals and Jamie Jazz playing acoustic guitar and contributing vocals, fusing ska and folk together with influences from punk rock and hardcore punk. Influences include Public Enemy, The Clash, The Specials, Black Flag and Minor Threat. Full of energy, but not aggressive, more fun and refreshing. Read more The King Blues – Punk and Poetry (2011)
Fear Nuttin Band – Move Positive (2011)
I’m not the kind of person who relaxing often. Probably pretty strange, I do not use dopes, not even weeds, joints, whatever. It’s hard to imagine a joint without raggae or raggae without a joint. 😀 And I’m not really a raggae consumer as well. Fear Nuttin Band delivering raggae with rock, Jamaica like aromas with guitar riffs. They are not actually a Rage Against the Machine, not quite an Asian Dub Foundation, but still have some rock like roots mixed up in their raggae tunes. The Fear Nuttin Band sound is as diverse as the cultures the band members represent. The hot West Indian sun incubated the talents of front men Roosta (Vox), Prowla (Vox), while instrumentalists Christafari Regan (Gtr), Jay Chung (Gtr & Vox), Brian Daigle (Bass) and Mike Fuchs (Drums) represent New England’s finest. They mentioned “their musical roots fusing the intensity of metal, the rhythm of Jamaican dance hall and the social consciousness of hip hop”, but don’t expect any too intense rock/metal stuffs, their music is warm and waving, have a positive vibe and groove. Read more Fear Nuttin Band – Move Positive (2011)
For The Glory – Some Kids Have No Face (2011)
Following the tradition of precursors as Biohazard, since 2003 For The Glory from Lisboa, Porto, Portugal, delivers quality, intense hardcore. As they said: “For The Glory is hardcore. For The Glory is energy. For The Glory loves the core. For The Glory hates assholes. For The Glory is ready to bust yo!” And Ricardo – vocals, Sergio – guitar, Claudio – drums, Rui – bass/backing vocals and João – guitar, actually done a pretty good job on this “Some Kids Have No Face”, 10 intense, groovy, powerful songs, well balanced tempos, strong guitar riffs and screaming vocals are perfectly compounding here into a round and crushing material. Read more For The Glory – Some Kids Have No Face (2011)
Mindset – Midnight Sky (2011)
It’s at least extremely uninspired to chose for name of your band something common and without make at least a search on Google if the particular name by any chance is still available. Mindset is one of the very bad choices possible. I found 4 bands with the same name, one from Chesapeake, Virginia, one from Baltimore, Maryland, a pop band probably from India and finally I get to what I’ve been looking for, these guys from Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Fuckin’ shit! Worst, the guys from Baltimore are playing kind of similar style of hardcore and have a record deal with React! Records. So, get a grip!
“Midnight Sky” came out through Pee Records, I think at least the record label should check out the legal status of the name of their new protegee. Things like that are bad for the business when these days business is bad anyway… Read more Mindset – Midnight Sky (2011)
Arkan – Salam (2011)
Season Of Mist bring us the second full-length album by Arkan, “Salam”, following their promising debut from 2008, titled “Hilal”. Last year I discovered a couple of exciting bands from the Middle East such as Orphaned Land, Melechesh and Absolace, Arkan comes to completing the picture, their music is labeled “oriental death metal”, an inspired mixture of the sounds of East and West, the melodies of North and South, amalgamate melodic Death Metal with Oriental traditions with roots reach deep down into the ethnic sounds of Algeria and Morocco. Arkan put together the whirlwind of Arabic percussion and the magical sound of ancient oriental string instruments with crushing riffs and intense rhythms, clean singing of Sarah Layssac with the screams and growls of Florent Jannier. Mystic and intense, “Salam” (Peace) is a colourful and powerful album with all the best spices of the East and West compounding together. Read more Arkan – Salam (2011)
Foo Fighters – Medium Rare (2011)
Here it is another cover album. As I said before, I like the covers and I collect them, but on the other hand it’s pretty strange to have another Foo Fighters material on sell only after four days they released their brand new album “Wasting Light”. It’s true, “Medium Rare” was released on April 16, 2011 as a limited-edition vinyl for Record Store Day – just like the Deftones “Covers” – , an event that celebrates independent record stores and apart from the new recordings of “Bad Reputation” and “This Will Be Our Year”, all tracks have been previously released as B-sides or in other compilation albums. We’ve got 13 tracks, songs from Wings, Cream, Joe Walsh, Mose Allison, Thin Lizzy, Prince and The Revolution, Gary Numan, Gerry Rafferty, Ramones, Pink Floyd, Hüsker Dü, Angry Samoans and The Zombies. Read more Foo Fighters – Medium Rare (2011)
