Contorted and dissonant, with roots back to Steve Albini’s Big Black and Shellac, reminding me of some pioneering bands such as Cop Shoot Cop, Cardiacs and H.P. Zinker, and being similarly psycho and sick such as some contemporaries like The Dillinger Escape Plan and Blood Brothers, Kabul Golf Club are the brand new monster children of Limburg, Belgium. Merging Noise Rock rawness with Post-Hardcore resonances, KGC might seems a quite unfriendly band, for the comfortable, “decent” listener eventually even not listenable, but this is so fresh, so wild, so honest, so uncompromising, that is hard not to admire their effort for genuine self-expression. This kind of rebellious, twisted Metal have a long and fruitful history already, “Minus 45” for instance could find its place easily on VoiVod’s legendary “Nothingface” album, but this whole aggressive raging incorporates the fury of a brand new generation which must be heard. KGC proves creativity and talent, all their dissonances and noises, all that madness and chaos perfectly reflect the world we are living in, on the other hand, at the end everything fits in and makes perfect sense in their compositions. Read more Kabul Golf Club – Le Bal Du Rat Mort, EP (2012)
Life and Living
post-hardcore
Aphrodite’s Baby – 90, EP (2012)
My French is rusty ( 😆 ), so, their bio in French really did not helped me too much, but this 4 track EP is definitively pretty convincing. Aphrodite’s Baby reminds me of an unleashed Rollins Band, they managed to merged together the Punk attitude, the Hardcore rawness and the intensity and grooves of the modern Metal and delivered an ass-kicker material.
But this “90” it’s also a fun concept. Danny Madigan, played by Austin O’Brien, was the kid in the “Last Action Hero” movie, (1993) the big fan of Jack Slater, a larger-than-life action hero played by Arnold Schwarzenegger. Axel Stone is one of the main character of the “Streets of Rage” series video game beside Adam Hunter and Blaze Fielding. And far as I found out, “Hocus Locust” is a skill from the “Dragon Quest” series and this skill reduces the MP of one enemy. I’m still in trouble and digging for Larry Kubiac who might be Francis Lawrence “Larry” Kubiac III played by Abraham Benrubi in the American teen sitcom, entitled “Parker Lewis Can’t Lose” which originally aired on FOX from September 1990 to June 1993, but I’m really not sure about this…. 😆
So, the music is Read more Aphrodite’s Baby – 90, EP (2012)
G.M.B.C. – Complete Omnivore (2012)
Completely disturbing, noisy and contorted, explosive, G.M.B.C. delivering the most dangerous type of Hardcore with Metal outfit in the footsteps of Converge and merging the furious attitude of Dead Kennedys with the overwhelming sound and energy of Pantera. G.M.B.C. are here to set the world on fire. The 8 tracks of “Complete Omnivore” are a merciless and compromiseless ride into the wild and once the pogo starts, nobody can stop it! But this isn’t only about energy and aggression, G.M.B.C. came up with some grinding you into the ground rhythms, some cutting to the bones riffs and at the bottom line they actually delivered a couple of great songs.
“Baldwin’s Case” have some moments which sounds like a meat grinder. “Evil Sex Machine” have the heaviness and southern spirit of Down combined with some madly speed Hardcore grinding. “Platini Beach” have a kind of Punk vibe while “Rasputin” sounds like a modern version of Napalm Death – both track are only few seconds over one minute. “Fat On Dry” sounds like Dead Kennedys doing a little Grindcore butchery, and “Moto Salad” have the sick taste of The Dillinger Escape Plan. Read more G.M.B.C. – Complete Omnivore (2012)
Subsource – Generation Doom, EP (2012)
“Tales From the Doombox”, their 2010’s debut album was huge as a 10 tones punch right in the face. These guys from London just nailed the essence of wobbling noises filled Dubstep, the nerve and anger of Punk and the heaviness of Metal acts and merged everything into their own flavored music. Few artists can mash up different styles so smoothly and coherently as they did. Get Sex Pistols, Skrillex and Slipknot in the same room and make them bleed out the most intense possible s*it they can deliver, and then, eventually, you will come near to what Subsource sounds like. It’s dangerous and ferocious. Banger! This is the best result if someone ever trying to merge The Prodigy with Rage Against the Machine.
Liam Howlett of The Prodigy said: “These boy have a big, nasty sound. Dangerous to my ears” – and he definitively knows what he’s talking about.
Punkstep? Well, no label might match more appropriate!! Read more Subsource – Generation Doom, EP (2012)
Inside-Project – A History of Violence (2012)
Pounding drums and murderous tempos, cutting till the bone riffs, bloody howling/deadly screaming vocals, “get the hell out of my way” attitude, merging the Death and Thrash Metal rooted with the intensity and energy of the Hardcore, Inside-Project are back!
Three years after “Alone facing death” and after playing more than 100 gigs across Europe, shredding the stage with bands such as Motorhead, Suicidal Tendencies, Agnostic Front, Gojira, Entombed, Tagada Jones, Paradise Lost, L’Esprit du Clan, This Is Hell, Ultra Vomit, Mass Hysteria, The Arrs, Eluveitie, “A History of Violence” consist of 11 merciless, the Alpha and Omega of modern Metal brutality. Read more Inside-Project – A History of Violence (2012)
The Elijah – I Loved I Hated I Destroyed I Created (2012)
When the market is full-filed with millions of same look-like, sound-like, taste-like products – not quite artists I’m afraid – sometimes (pre) judging a CD by its cover, might be a pretty strong argument. First the cover, then the title – “I Loved I Hated I Destroyed I Created” – grabbed my attention.
Dan – Vocals, Michael – Vocals, Guitar, Sean – Guitar, Orchestration, Sam – Bass, and Jakub – Drums managed to explore a quite unique path somewhere between Sigur Rós and At the Drive-In, a disturbing place where ambiental, cinematic soundscapes and turbulent, furious (Post) Hardcore collide and make an actually nice pair as only opposites are capable of. Read more The Elijah – I Loved I Hated I Destroyed I Created (2012)
I See Stars – Digital Renegade (2012)
Merging the so-called Post-Hardcore with electronic layers and build-ups with influences from Trance and House seems to be the most fashionable recipe lately for a new generation of headbangers growing up on bands such as Linkin Park. I’m not a huge fan of this new trends, but definitively there are a few excellent bands. And I See Stars are definitively much better then 8 out of 10 of these bands.
“Digital Renegade” (stylized as [digital_renegade]) is the third studio album by the band formed in 2006, in Warren, Michigan. Their debut album entitled “3-D”, released in 2009 and featured a guest appearance from Bizzy Bone of Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, has peaked at #176 on the Billboard 200. It was followed by “The End of the World Party” released in 2011.
“Digital Renegade” was released on March 13, 2012 and this time the boys take their music on a much aggressive, abrasive way, the grinding Metal rooted elements are overwhelming the electronic-melodic moments. Read more I See Stars – Digital Renegade (2012)
Now, Voyager – Seas, EP (2012)
If you neighbors pissed you off, it’s time to piss back! 😆 Turn up the volume, push play and leave this EP on repeat one day or two. You will earn your neighbors respect. Joking and not so. “Seas” is a murderous EP from an up and coming metal band from Brussels, Belgium. Formed in late 2010, quickly garnered a reputation for fierce, powerful live shows and an unique, well crafted sound. If you like the technical Death Metal forged by Cynic and you love the nowadays fancy Post-Hardcore/Metalcore outfits, Now, Voyager will definitively become your new favorite.
Extremely intense, but contagious, their songs will set the world on fire and grind you into the ground. This 4 track EP is one of the most impressive debuts I heard lately, it has the perfect balance between contorted heaviness and subtle, expressive musicality. This is the best soulful fury I ever heard! The Metal never sound so grinding and fresh as it blows out from this songs. And can get enough of it, you will want more and more. Read more Now, Voyager – Seas, EP (2012)
General Lee – The End of Bravery promo
GENERAL LEE never stopped to look forward their own definition of chaos, melting intensity, blackness and emotion in a shape that belongs to abrasive hardcore music. Their plays with feelings and contrasts by creating a tense climate near to the break. Icy and oppressive atmospheres, heavy and melancholic riffing are mixed ton an abrasive hardcore and a blowing off and cathartic screaming. A music that blurs and destroys the usual plans to be reconstructed in pain. GENERAL LEE played over 100 gigs with bands like CULT OF LUNA, BARONESS, WILL HAVEN, KEELHAUL, MISERY INDEX, MADE OUT OF BABIES and many more..
“The End of Bravery” is the first extract of the next album which will be released on September 1st. Read more General Lee – The End of Bravery promo
Twin Atlantic – Free/False [RMX]
Twin Atlantic formed in February 2007, in Glasgow, Scotland, by Sam McTrusty (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Barry McKenna (lead guitar, cello, backing vocals), Ross McNae (bass guitar, piano, backing vocals) and Craig Kneale (drums, percussion, backing vocals). After recording their debut EP A Guidance From Colour at Long Wave Studio in Cardiff with producer Romesh Dodangoda (Funeral For A Friend, Kids In Glass Houses, The Blackout), and building upon the support from Kerrang!, the band’s profile was boosted enough for them to land support slots with Biffy Clyro and Smashing Pumpkins. They also supported American acts The Matches, Blink-182, Finch and Say Anything on their respective UK tours.
Singed to Red Bull Records, released their debut mini-album “Vivarium” in March 2009. The band toured extensively in 2009 and 2010, having played Download Festival, Guilfest, T in the Park, Sonisphere and Belladrum over the summer of 2009, including supporting Taking Back Sunday on a tour of UK and Ireland in July 2009. This continued into a full tour of the UK in September and then the United States with The Fall of Troy and Envy On The Coast in March and April 2010. In June 2010, Twin Atlantic supported The Gaslight Anthem on their British mini-tour and on 7 August 2010 they played at the Hevy Music Festival. They also supported My Chemical Romance on their tour.
“Free” was released on April 29, in Ireland and May 2, 2011 in the UK. In its first week of release, the album peaked at #37 in the UK Album Chart. This success led to them being part of the T In The Park 2011 lineup. In the summer of 2012, the band will be on the Vans Warped Tour. Part of their US promotion, Red Bull Records and Indaba challenged remixers with the contest of remixing their single “Free”. Read more Twin Atlantic – Free/False [RMX]
