Vacant State - Fill the Void

elusive, straight-forward hardcore from Vancouver that makes you wanna grab your board and shred the nearest mini ramp. west coast style (perfectly captured by the SST derivative cover art) with plenty of boston's earlier talents' flavor. vocals are barking-like shouts, reminiscent of NEGATIVE APPROACH. so basically, it's either a wonderful culmination of country-wide ushc, or i need to pay much closer attention to the scene across our northern border.

excellent overall balance; from wailing guitar leads, chugging bass riffs, rhythm/tempo variation, traditional (genre-appropriate) song structure, and even lyrical content. considering this is their debut full-length, and despite the fact that they play a very generic brand of punk, it's quite impressive stuff. 11 track onslaught of thrash parts, circle pit ragers, dance parts and stage dive opportunities abound. no cheesy Bridge 9 gang vocals, which i am generally fond of, but if they existed here it would probably take away from their flow. good call.

lyrics span from dissatisfaction with fake friendships, frustration with stagnancy and redundancy/boredom, defiance towards conformity, and - to paraphrase both this act as well as CEREMONY - just feeling "sick". again: generic, but done really well. maybe "classic" is maybe a bit more fitting. i would, however, like to think that they are paving a new path with songs like "Rhetoric". i interpret it as a kind of critique towards left-wing politics and their pretentious subscribers, but not one that's in total opposition to being "socially conscience", for lack of a better term. basically, i see it as a statement that any representative of an oppressed group - insofar as they are asserting themselves as a representative/expert/what-have-you - are thus exposing themselves as members of the authoritative class through that very act. but hey, that's probably me reading in way too far.

all theorizing aside, this LP is fantastic. you should buy it, as it is hella cheap, or at least download it and talk them up in your town/city to earn them some more exposure and a larger attendance if and when they come through.

songs that get my proverbial motor running: Rhetoric, Fill the Void, Alone, No.

available through: Deranged Records, Go It Alone, and probably any number of other distros. last.fm is in the title. enjoy!

WORLD TOUR WITH DRAKE, PLZ.

Funeral Parade - Self-Titled

FUNERAL PARADE (Portland, OR) play spot-on early-80's UK style dark punk rock. tight, straight-forward and driving rhythm section, catchy lead riffs, and an overall sound that captures the essence of an entire era. this is a cassette release, and it's the perfect medium. i'm actually finding myself speechless over how good this is.

focusing on the horrors of our social reality rather than expounding literary praise (and with the Blinko-esque artwork, might i add), this band plays what, to me, is deathrock. like, with the clouds rolling over the moon - which is currently visible from my window - i just want to turn off the light in my room right now and get well-dressed and dance.

i really wish i would have written "For You". i just heard this demo for the first time about ten days ago, and i can already assure you that this track - hell, the whole tape, really - is timeless. a modern-day classic. how rare is that? the rumor mill has it that they've already disbanded. i really hope that for the sake of all us cold-hearted kids out there this isn't true, because if so, then the universe is missing out on something truly special. don't pass on this. it's genuine and it is very, very beautiful.

last.fm link in the post's title.

Welkin Dusk - Born into a Dying World

after a less-than-impressive 4 track demo released about a year ago, WELKIN DUSK have tightened things up significantly with this self-produced and distributed full-length debut.

a self-proclaimed anarchist quartet hailing from the south side of Chicago, these kids play a heavily blackened brand of crust punk in the vein of LIFE IS HELL. lyrics range from sociopolitical commentary to the ever-relevant topic of hate for oneself (and all things), and suicide.

while i don't find that they fit in with the current trend in raw usbm, they do maintain the general feel of said style by having released this album on cassette and, intentionally or not, emphasizing the high-end of things both musically and vocally. additionally, WD doesn't go for the epic neocrust prologue, nor do they perform SKAGOS (or, as the name may imply, EMPEROR) worship. 7 songs in 24 minutes. hello *screams* goodbye.

the drumming is tight and the vocals are incredible shrieks and growls. my only complaint, really, is the guitar tone. it's this twangy fender sound that, on the beginning of the album's first track, "Buried Deep in My Hate"  sounds like a cool intro effect that would later blend into a nice, rich, metallic low-end with tons of gain (like MARTYRDÖD, for example). but nope, guitar stays really weird and dry. i suppose it makes the riffs more audible, but i just think these songs would hit harder - even on a cassette - with some more depth. i wanna wall-o-sounnnd.

back on the positive side, the drumming is fairly technical, and none of the songs have a tendency to repeat themselves; neither in pattern/structure, nor riff or lyrics. it's pretty "diverse", but definitely still sounds and feels like a whole release, not just 7 songs thrown onto one tape and called an LP. plus their lives shows are pretty killer. they sounded wayyy more dense and atmospheric on stage than they do on the release. but again, it's a solid effort and the song-writing is really what counts.

check 'em out on myspace, or their bandcamp (in the post's title).

SORRY EVERYONE I'M KINDA LAZY RIGHT NOW. WANT PUMPKIN COFFEE.

White Lung - It's The Evil

Vancouver's own 3/4 lady-garage-punk-quartet.

apologies, all. i've been slacking on this blog front lately. i promise that a three-fer is on the way. maybe older/timeless records that i think go unnoticed? but onto this review:

i may be alone in this, but i'm totally stoked on/excited for this band to be in existence. It's The Evil is an awesome record from front to back. no lulls and little filler. it's just full force; aggressive, but with a hint of that rebellious apathy that i find endlessly appealing, especially in stage presence.

basically, this act is a way better version of the YEAH YEAH YEAHS. dancey but moshable punk rock. "raw" and "grungy", but not in the commonly understood sense of the terms. the emotion and "rawness" in presentation is palpable. you can't help but feel it bursting through your speakers. "grungy" in a rock-and-roll sense, but no fuzzy distortion. guitar(s) are crisp and clean, but the amount of gain is ear-piercing. same with the drums. these kids play their instruments hard.

vocally, Mish Way is whiny and wavy, but not in a nauseating or obnoxious way. her vocal style is very well balanced, especially with regards to the flow of the album. a good mix of yelling, screaming, singing, and snottiness. i hate to say it, because it seems all too obvious, but she honestly does remind of of Kathleen Hanna (BIKINI KILL) with the way she enunciates certain words in a mocking-like fashion. you know what i'm talking about. that being said, i wouldn't call WHITE LUNG a riot grrl band. which, incidentally, i think is for the better. (sorry to burst your bubble, second-wavers.) but i digress.

the bass has a distinct fender jazz sound with an excellent tone that blends well with the rest of the band, but stands out when it should/needs to. the cymbals sound like they're shattering to pieces every time they're hit. the snare is punching you in the throat. the guitar plays loud as fuck open chords and dizzying/hypnotic lead parts, but crystal clear and also (somehow) not overpowering. tracks like Viva La Rat, Shoot, and Like Dad (which are my three favorites on the albummm) feature what i find to be the raddest of lead riffs that help define the band. i also think the affect it has on the listener compliments the artwork and vice-versa. a lot of that good old fashioned 16th note stuff going on all around, but they can seemingly stop on a dime. well done.

favvsies: Viva La Rat, Two Seen, Shoot, Like Dad. (Atlanta gets a shout-out too for being hella catchy.)

so yeah, these folks are all over the interwebs: tumblr in the title, myspace, facebook, Deranged Records.

someone book them a show in Chicago. like, maybe that RVIVR/THIS IS MY FIST one in September?

MORE TO COME. I SVVEARRR.

Shards - Self-Titled LP

for those of you already familiar with North Carolina's SHARDS, you may have noticed that i've rotated the artwork 90 degrees right. i don't care how the LP is packaged; it really, really looks like a face, and having it sideways bugs the shit out of me.

anyway, a lot of people have been describing this new project as "dark" yet "melodic" punk. i can't say this is far from the truth (what else is new?), but i also feel that there's much room for elaboration. gritty, almost snotty vocals are probably the most notable aspect of the band. hooks and melodies? not really an option without harmonies or repeated one-liners/group vocals, in my opinion. catchy? yeah, i'll agree with that. last.fm claims that the band, "reach[es] back to punk’s pre-hardcore days", bringing to mind early TSOL. i'll agree with that too.

SHARDS goes for an almost SST Records (BLACK FLAG, HUSKER DU, etc.) style sound, and they do a pretty good job of it, considering it is 2011. heavy, crunchy bass is the most driving force underneath the layered vocals (which i must reiterate is definitely the most prominent force on this album), with a nearly absent bass drum and fairly weak snare drum hits. the guitar, however, is not nearly as fuzzy or distorted as these "pre-hardcore" punk pioneers. there are also no ridiculous solos or bends. the riffs they play are pretty rock-and-roll, but in a very subtle way.

because the record goes by so fast and there aren't many stand-out tracks, i'm going to go ahead and cut this one short. i must say, though, that for as underwhelming as i found it at first, this release has made more than its fair share of appearances on my last.fm charts. something about it keeps me coming back, and i'm sure they'd be quite a bit of fun to see live. i am very curious to see if they are able to spawn more bands with this interesting take on an old-school sound. perhaps some sort of unforeseen revival? i don't know. the point is: this is a solid piece of work, and there are definitely not enough people turned on to it. hence, my rants.

check out their myspace (linked in the post title) to hear these jams for yourself. it's not for everyone, i understand, but i think it's pretty cool stuff. and who doesn't like cool stuff?!

the songs i like better than some others: Bleach, Lycanthropic Discomfort, DMT, Self-Medication.

THE NEXT ONE WILL BE BETTER.

Terminal Youth - Self-Titled LP

Terminal Youth were a thrashcore band from Massachusetts, but with a distinctly west coast vibe. short-lived as their "career" may have been, i am grateful that they were able to unleash this 18-song record unto the world. maybe it's because i'm from Chicago (no coast like no coast!), but i don't feel that nearly enough people appreciate this hardcore outfit; this sublime effort in particular.

if you're more prone to checking out a band based on "member diversity" or whatever, they did have (i believe) a female bass player. lyrically, from what i've deciphered, TY seems to stick to the proverbial script, covering inter-personal relationships as well as some introspective subjects and occasionally offering some subtle political commentary. borderline powerviolence at times, this album truly rips from front to back. major distortion, major treble, major speed. "fastcore" is an applicable sub-sub-genre, if you're into such specificities.

distributed through To Live A Lie (who, incidentally, recently dropped the new DEATHRATS 7"!!!), i believe that there was a batch of just over 500 vinyl that are now, perhaps permanently, sold out. in the meantime, check out their myspace and get all resourceful if you want more.