Dispatches from Powerviolence: BRB During the Holidaze.

Shits gonna be rough.

Lotsa drunk blackouts and unprotected sex. Maybe some needle drugs.

When will it end? ... We're not stoppin' til we're arrested... Or til Dec. 28th. Whichever comes first.

So enjoy your holiday, sharkfucks. See ya soon.

Heavy Rotation: Fellas of the Belly (Dec. 21)

Ahoy!

The Hellion:
01. Dimmu Borgir - "In Sorte Diaboli"
02. Heroin - "Discography"
03. Kite Flying Society - "Kite Flying Society"
04. Nile - "Ithyphallic"
05. Blues - "Snakepit"
06. Whitechapel - "This is Exile"
07. Misfits - "Static Age"
08. Oblivion - "Sweatpants USA"
09. Mogwai - "Mr. Beast"
10. All Shall Perish - "The Price of Existence"

Spleen Latifa:
01. Akimbo - "City of the Stars"
02. Bird Eater - "Utah"
03. Career Suicide - "Anthology of Releases: 2001 - 2003"
04. Reatards - "Grown Up Fucked Up"
05. Curl Up and Die - "The One Above All, the End of All That Is"
06. Cleveland Bound Death Sentence - "Cleveland Bound Death Sentence"
07. Pygmy Lush - "Bitter River"
08. Tusk - "Get Ready"
09. Victims - "Killer"
10. Pig Destroyer - "Prowler in the Yard"

Featured Book: Radio Silence: A Selected Visual History of American Hardcore Music

Ok, I just turned the last page on this little slice of gnarheaven, and seriously felt compelled to toss this one up here. If you faithful readers recall the last Featured Book post, on American Hardcore by Steven Blush, you might be thinking this column is developing into a one-trick pony. But bearfight with me here, kids, seriously... Though these two titles, on the surface, may seem like they're covering the exact same material, that statement gets a big, wet "yes and no". How quickly we forget that age-old cliche our elementary school teachers always tried to instill in us: "If you drop out now, you'll be dealing out H.J.'s like hurricane Katrina for a half-eaten eggroll and two broken cigarettes" .... err, i mean, "Don't judge a book by its cover." Right. That one.



What I'm getting at is this: sure, both books cover probably one of if not THE (Spleen's opinion) most important movement in rock music history, but they take two definitive approaches to the material. Where Blush's incredibly extensive interviewing, dissecting, and psuedo-mimicry of a tribal history lesson do their jobs very well, Silence instead focuses solely on the visual motifs, design, craftsmanship, and style of the movement. Furthermore, pumping the book chock full of incredible live shots and photography, album art and cassette sleeves, DIY tshirts and flyers, and accompanying notes and anecdotes to each one are the reasons to sink into this just as rabidly as you should Blush's book. But one giant difference between two two books is that Blush focuses solely on '80 - '86 American hardcore (most likely due to how detailed he approached the subject matter. If he would have continued in that manner, he woulda probably got to volume 12 before hitting the formation of Earth Crisis) and Silence instead, staying more with just style and visual history makes it all the way through late-80's metalcore, thrash-core, skate-core, post-hardcore, early-emo/screamo(?), and all the way to about Snapcase in '94, almost a decade after A.H. stops.


(Sample from the album art index in the back of the book)

Regardless, check it out, it's wonderful. It gave me an old-school-hardcore-in-book-form boner, and I like those. Cuz way too often any punk books on the shelves always seem to skip over it pretty blatantly, jumping from the dissolving of the Sex Pistols and the Clash, to New Wave, to what the fuck, who's this Kurt and the Nirvanas, and why is no one listening to hair metal anymore? ... Also, best line of the book: "There wasn't time to mold your liberty spikes or shine your Dr. Martens. It was jeans and T-shirts, shaved heads, and worn-out sneakers." Fucking rad... Also the photos I included in this post are from the book too... Fuckfightrage.

Sidenote, 10 points to anyone who thought "Wow, Spleen's elementary school teacher musta been a modern-day fuckin Nostradamus or something to drop a Katrina reference in their stay-in-school diatribe about avoiding handjobs for Asian cuisine" ... Cuz you're right. I thought the exact same thing.

Heavy Rotation: Fellas of the Belly (Dec. 6)

The Hellion:
01. ISIS - "In the Absence of Truth"
02. All Shall Perish - "Awaken the Dreamers"
03. Baroness - "Red Album"
04. Metallica - "Kill 'Em All"
05. Kill the Client - "Wage Slave"
06. Xiu Xiu - "Knife Play"
07. Slick Rick - "The Great Adventures of Slick Rick"
08. War from a Harlots Mouth - "Transmetropolitan"
09. Cephalic Carnage - "Xenosapien"
10. Hot Water Music - "A Flight and a Crash"

Spleen Latifa:
01. The Acacia Strain - "The Dead Walk"
02. The Jonbenét - "The Plot Thickens"
03. Eva Chavela - Demos and Live Tracks
04. Pusher - "Pusher"
05. Kid Dynamite - "Kid Dynamite"
06. Gaza - "I Don't Care Where I Go When I Die"
07. The Drips - "The Drips"
08. Architect - "Ghost of the Salt Water Machines"
09. Blacklisted - "Heavier Than Heaven, Lonelier Than God"
10. American Me - "Heat"

Review Your Face Off: All Shall Perish - "Awaken the Dreamers"

All Shall Perish as always been fucking killer in my book. The Price of Existence was totally gnarly, and it accompanied many times while riding the L into work. Honestly, is there anything better than starting your morning off to blistering metal? Besides morning sex, the answer is no. Needless to say, when I got my grubby little hands on ASP's latest release, Awaken the Dreamers, I was pretty stoked. And while I don't think this album really pushes the band into any extremely new territory, it's still pretty solid and has some differences than past releases.

I'm not going to go through the album track by track, but there were some specific songs worth mentioning. The first track, entitled "When Life Meant More," ripped my face off right from the start. Seriously, I have no face anymore. It's gone. Although, in all honesty, I look much more pleasing to ladies now. So not only did I get a fuckshark jam, I also got more dates as well. Thanks, dudes! "Black Gold Reign" kind of stood out to also, because halfway through this bad mammajamma, there are some ridiculous Iron Maidenesque vocals that just made me smile. Nive homage guys. Toward the middle of album, however, some of the tracks are pretty questionable. They start to slow down and have more of a ballad feel to them. These songs include the title track and "Memories of a Glass Sancyuary," and they should have been left off the record. To be perfectly frank, these songs blow and are a disruption in relation to the rest of the release.

But don't fret, fellow readers. The band gets back on track after those shithole songs. From here on out, things return to just plain punishing, as we all would expect. The range of vocals that "Eddie" Hermida gives is more than impressive, and he does switches up styles a lot more on this release than those in the past. There are also a lot more backing vocals laid over each other, which gives a good amount of depth. As usual, the guitars slay and the drumwork is relentless.

Overall, this is a pretty good release. It may not be "So Sick" worthy, but it's still worth getting. Pop this baby in and rage, you rat bastards!

Performing "Never Again" live. Just skip the stupid "Mundane" bullshit at the beginning.

Review Your Face Off: The Acacia Strain - "Continent"

Ever since I first heard ...And Life Is Very Long, The Acacia Strain has been one of my favorite bands. Each consecutive release seemed to destroy the album prior, and I because of that I was never disappointed. They just seemed to get heavier and more destructive as time went on, both musically and lyrically. This allowed me to get super stoked before each record dropped, and this time around, the same feeling washed over me.

But my reaction this time was much different than what I was used to. For the first time since I started listening to this band, I am not blown away by the newest release. There, I said it. I'm sorry. But here at the Belly we speak the truth, and I can't be more truthful than that.

Don't get me wrong, Continent is not bad by any means. But as soon as I heard that very first song, I could tell something was wrong. I think what hit me straight off was Vince's voice. He's straining on this album. A lot. His voice has always been pretty incredible, and I think this time he was trying to be more brutal than usual. But it just doesn't work. I can't get over it. It's like when your friend is talking to you, and he's got a huge hunk of chicken stuck to his beard, and you can't pay attention to a damn word he's saying, even though he's admitting he got drunk with your sister one night and now she's pregnant. Vince's voice just subtracts from everything else. It took me forever before I could finally sit and pay attention to music in the background, and even then, it was mediocre.

While the album's guitars remain crushing, a lot of cheesy riffage was added. I always loved the way these guys would straight out chug the shit out of your face until your ears bled, but I understand that bands want to mature, also. Problem is, the soloing on this record doesn't seem to sit well over the off timings the band is known for. It sounds forced at times. I don't know. I can't place my finger on it exactly. It just bugs me.

I wish I didn't have to say it, but there is a reason this album didn't make it to the famed "So Sick It Hurts" section. It just falls short of all my expectations. Sure, you can still tell it's The Acacia Strain, and it will certainly piss off your mom when you put it in the player on the way to church, but I just wanted more. Check it out for yourself and see what you think. It's worth the listen, but don't expect to be crapping yourself over it.

here's the band playing the album's opener Skynet:

Heavy Rotation: Fellas of the Belly (Nov. 24)

Roundhouse your week into submission and jam to the wax (and/or digital media) of the deep cuts we've been salivating over for the past 7 days... Eat it, bearfights.

Spleen Latifa:
01. Lords - "Fuck All Y'all Motherfuckers"
02. Akimbo - "Harshing Your Mellow"
03. Trap Them - "Seizures in Barren Praise"
04. The Ergs! - "Hindsight Is 20/20, My Friend"
05. Young Widows - "Old Wounds"
06. Cursed - "II"
07. Dillinger Four - "CIVILWAR"
08. Botch - "An Anthology of Dead Ends"
09. Minor Threat - "Complete Discography"
10. Rise & Fall - "Into Oblivion"

The Hellion:
01. The Acacia Strain - "3750"
02. Slowdive - "Souvlaki"
03. Leatherface - "Horsebox"
04. Mobb Deep - "Infamy"
05. Avail - "Dixie"
06. See You Next Tuesday - "Intervals"
07. Left Hand Cuts the Right - "You Breathed Like Water"
08. HORSE the Band - "R. Borlax"
09. Billy Bragg - "Back to Basics"
10. I See Hawks in L.A. - "Hallowed Ground"

Old Timers: Avail - "Dixie"

Remember 1994? Remember Avail? Remember when they dropped "Dixie"?! While I don't really remember 1994 as a whole, I certainly do remember this album. Avail is one of those bands that all your punk friends listened to and loved at some point in their lives. There's good reason for this. Mainly, because Avail was fucking awesome. The band was probably the only good thing to ever come out of Richmond, Virginia besides the Powhatan Indians. And you know that the Powhatan didn't rock nearly as hard as Avail did.

One of my first punk shows was Avail, and I can still remember how the crowd went ballistic whenever anything was played off Dixie. I'd put money on the assumption that this was pretty much everyone's favorite Avail record. It was the perfect mix of melody, politics, and good old hardcore. I like to call this mix of elements "The Trifecta," even though it has nothing to do with horse betting. (If you don't get that joke, stop using the word.) But seriously, songs like "Clone" and "On the Nod" were instant classics. To this day, when I hear them, I get giddy like a schoolgirl after her first makeout/fingerbang combo. And that's pretty fucking giddy.

So even though I've been giving Tim Barry's solo stuff a lot of airplay, I still love to go back and listen to him yell out the vocals for Avail. I also like the rest of the band; don't get offended guys.

Go back and listen to this. Or die. (Alright, you probably won't die.)

Here's Avail live doing "Clone." The audio sucks, but it captures the energy. I did my best.

Get The Fuck Back Together, Idiots: The Ergs!

So a couple weeks ago, I got to attend one of the handful of farewell shows The Ergs! put on as a result of their surprising disbanding. And though it was incredibly memorable, I think it seriously didn't do their important career the justice it deserved... Specifically, due to having to stop the set two or three times to take care of a faulty stage rig that was falling apart (the show was put on at an old brewery/grain warehouse [fucking sick.], so everything seemed just thrown together to appear as a venue... but not in a bad way) and as well as being the direct support for Dillinger Four's release show/party for their much-anticipated long-overdue new album, the Ergs boys and their tipping of the hat to their legacy seemed greatly over-shadowed.

Fuckin' A, interweb. This was a travesty! ... We here at the Belly have three commandments that we live by, and three only: Drink, Fight, and Fuck. And sometimes we bend the rules and throw Rock, a second Drink, and a Get Radical into the mix as well.. But that's only on special occasions, which are pretty much any days that end in "-day". BUT a band like the Ergs! told us that it was ok to relish in the emotions we beat to a pulp and jammed back deep into a spooned-out divot in our spinal column just below the cavernous blackness that resides in our chests... By taking the good parts of heavyweights like Descendents and Screeching Weasel, then throwing them into a concrete mixer with self-deprecating nerd culture, a nasaly singer/drummer, and a penchant for broken-hearted love songs on meth, The Ergs! packed a hell of a wallop. Seriously, these guys made me believe again that there was a right way "pop-punk" could be done with merit and maturity, intensity and emotion. Not just the beat-down garbage old horse paraded around on TV and the radio for a bulk of the past 15 years.

Annnnywho, so Jeff was leaving the band and the other two Ergsdudes thought it wouldn't be right trying to keep the band alive without him. Noble. But there is a tiny bit of a silver-lining in this, us as fans of Jersey's best prancers get two posthumous releases from the boys in nerd frames. One coming by way of 7", of the songs they were working on right before the split, and the other as a massive 33 song collection of all rare tracks, split tracks, 7" tracks, and such of yesteryear. So go out and pick that shit up, listen to some of the old stuff while remembering that broad that took a massive shit on your life... oh, and tell the Ergs! if you see them, get the fuck back together, idiots.

The Ergs! - Most Violent Rap Group/Pray For Rain (live)

Important Moments In Powerviolence: Fear Does Commercials for Radio Stations(?)

Yea, I know, sounds a little fucked up... And seriously I have no idea what the story is behind these at all. They were just a few little gems I stumbled across yesterday on the youtube.

All I can gather from the video content and descriptions is that Fear was thought of as a fucking insane entity threatening the moral fiber of America® (duh)... And some company who owned a couple top 40's only-the-hits radio stations across the country thought it would be a good idea to let them be crass as hell in a TV commercial to show what would NOT be played on that station (fucking brilliant). Even if for obvious reasons this ad campaign didn't hit its intended mark, we still have wonderful footage of Lee Ving at his combative and charismatic best, taking a giant steaming shit on the safe, corporate, family-friendly agenda.

GnarVideo of the Week: iwrestledabearonce - "Tastes Like Kevin Bacon"

Can ya feel it, kids? That simultaneous tingle of the back of the neck and just beyond the balls? That one that starts the full body shiver shakedown? ... That's your central nervous system alerting your cerebral cortex that the Belly is back in full swing. Duh, girl.

So the one column that I think regrettably fell by the wayside (nobody's fault but our own... sorry, these brews had to be downed then these kids had to be driven to school. aka we got busy. assholes.) was the GnarVideo, and I am so happy to bring it back out of its coma, since everyone knows how I get a Voltron mecha-boner anytime a band I dig takes the time to put out something engaging that I can watch and enjoy during the time I spend daily, angrily looking at their myspace tour dates that never seem to list my city... Anyway, if you haven't already indulged yourself in Century Media and Heavy Hitter's new grind/ synth-metal/ dark-ambient/ hardcore-freakout/ sample-junkie/ technical prodigies iwrestledabearonce yet, consider yourself on notice. These asshats got their shit together and they're steamrolling at an incredible rate. Also, I am a firm believer in the power of marrying comedy and brutality (see: the Red Chord and Every Time I Die for further proof) and these kids bring it in spades. Whether using the theme from Inspector Gadget for the riff of a breakdown, choosing samples like a jalopy car horn to usher in a tune, or just the video below, they spare no expense in the department of just having a good time... while melting faces. Even their merch is fucking incredible (see here, here, and here)... Not to keep rambling, but sidenote, their singer is also a damn fox. And that is something the Hell Fulla Belly can always get behind... And that wasn't meant in a creepy sexual predator way... Or was it?

So..... What the problem is? Enjoy.

Dispatches from Powerviolence: Trap Them Listening Party/Chugging Contest TONIGHT

So in honor of our release from the shackles of self-imposed hiatus and laziness, I felt it necessary to alert you all to a wonderful shindig going down this evening out the Brooklyn way. One of the Belly's faves, the mighty Trap Them, birthed out their new album "Seizures in Barren Praise" unto the world two days ago (which sadly, the Spleen has yet to get his hands onto, but surely will soon enough, so expect a review in the near future... yes, I'm a douche. But you know that already.) and to celebrate this glorious day, the kind-hearted souls and merchants of destruction over at Deathwish Inc. decided to throw the NYC area a little hoedown... complete with a listening of the album and a chugging contest for prizes (fuck yes.) ... Hopefully we get to pick our poison of choice, cuz I'd rather not have to guzzle down pints of The Urine of Beers (fuckin' High Life), but if doing so could mean a cornucopia of Deathwish swag, mainline that shit straight to my gut.

Welcome back bruisers and losers to carnival of cacophony, and I hope to see all our east coast bare-knuckle bearfights at the Charleston tonight... Let's look at it as an unofficial welcome home party for your prodigal sons, The Hellion and Spleen Latifa.

Review Your Face Off: Long Live the Smoking Gun - "We Build Empires"

It may surprise you to learn that this LLSG album was recorded with only two members. When you give this record a first listen, it sounds like a full on band with multiple guitarists. But, as I said, it’s not. Adam Taylor handles the drum work, and Rob Easter pulls off the rest. That includes vocals, all guitar layering, and bass. Not too shabby, if I do say so myself, especially since my version of a two man band would be me playing guitar and a friend playing triangle. In the end I’d probably kick that guy out anyway for not drinking enough whiskey and finding me enough slutty tang. So straight off, you have to give credit for the accomplishment of recording a record that certainly has more shit going on than most two-man ensembles, because we all know the White Stripes suck.

But more importantly, one should give these gentlemen credit for putting out a good record. As soon as you drop the needle on this thing, “Justice is a Ghost Town” comes out blazing with ripping guitars and the sense of urgency you feel when you realize your face is on fire. And guess what; that feeling pretty much sticks through the entire album. Except for “Goodmen,” which is more of a low key track, this thing is full of riffage and swagger. That makes for 4 songs of fighting music and 1 song to catch your breath in between. I don’t know about you, but I sure as hell am not complaining. Plus, this bad boy is tinged with some of that Southern rock feel I have been hearing so much about. Seems the Southwest, from whence these boys hail, is all about that these days. I say go for it, because it makes my butt dance, and that’s pretty much how I decide what I like and what I don’t like.

I mean, you can't really go wrong with this album. It's got a good amount of punch to it, so it's sure to have you rocking. It's also well executed. You can tell there is talent within these guys. Since 1912 Records (the label that released this album) has been putting out some great shit, you know what you're in for: a good time.

So check Long Live the Smoking Gun out. I’ll put money on it that you won’t be disappointed, because we here at the Belly only like good music and fast women. Unfortunately, only good music is generally accessible for us.

Heavy Rotation: Fellas of the Belly (11/11/08)

The Hellion:
01. Austin Lucas - "Putting the Hammer Down"
02. Blues - "Snakepit"
03. I See Hawks in L.A. - "Hallowed Ground"
04. Drive-By Truckers - "Brighter than Creation's Dark"
05. Tim Barry - "Rivanna Junction"
06. Suffocate for Fuck Sake - "Blazing Fires and Helicopters..."
07. The Handshake Murders - "Usurper"
08. Mogwai - "The Hawk is Howling"
09. Red Sparowes - "At the Soundless Dawn"
10. Bats and Mice - "Believe It Mammals"

Spleen Latifa:
01. Total Abuse - "Total Abuse"
02. The Bronx - "The Bronx" (III)
03. See You Next Tuesday - "Intervals"
04. Swamp Thing - "The Youth Is Sick"
05. Fucked Up - "The Chemistry of Common Life"
06. Dillinger Four - "This Shit is Genius"
07. The Banner - "Frailty"
08. For Science - "Revenge for Hire"
09. Screeching Weasel - "Weasel Mania"
10. Ruiner - "I Heard These Dudes are Assholes"

Dispatches from Powerviolence: We are Fucking Back

Hello, world. Ok, so I know we have been saying we are coming back for quite some time. And we had lied, because we really didn't post much. That's about to change. I know what you're thinking: You assholes are lying again. I don't blame you. But this time I'm serious. Shit, I'm even about to post a new review! That's right, not just a "Heavy Rotation," which I will also post, but a full-on review. That's dedication.

Speaking of reviews, I think we are going to implement a bit of a change in the way those are handled. We have decided to start doing normal reviews so we can cover more albums than those that we would murder for and those that we hate. Don't worry, "So Sick It Hurts" isn't going anywhere. But when we put an album up under that, you better believe that it's the hottest shit you've ever heard. We are talking 10/10, can't stop listening to it, would kill anyone who stole it.

So get ready to get back into the action, because the Belly is rising like a phoenix from the ashes of... laziness.

Heavy Rotation: Fellas of the Belly (Aug. 22)

Bellions! How have you been? It's been too long, eh? I agree. I wish I could say that we were out touring the country getting the hottest interviews and checking out the gnarliest shows music has to offer, but that would be lying. Honestly, we are just lazy. More effort was put into downing courage juice and smoking cancer sticks than anything else. It's true: we suck. Well, unless you were hanging out with us, in which case you were a lucky bastard, since we know how to rock the party into the 15th dimension. At any rate, we are back. And this time I mean it (probably). So turn up the volume on the Slayer album you're probably not listening to right now and get ready for the Rotation!

[Spleen editor's note: Fuck yeah, numbskulls. Turn up those Tommy and the Slayers records!!]

The Hellion:
01. The Misfits - "Static Age"
02. Aus Rotten - "Not One Single Fucking Hit"
03. Angelic Upstarts - "Teenage Warning"
04. Hot Water Music - "Forever and Counting"
05. Sworn In - "Sworn In"
06. Cursed - "III: Architects of Troubled Sleep"
07. Suicide Note - "Empty Rooms"
08. Small Arms Dealer - "Patron Saint of Disappointment"
09. On the Might of Princes - "Sirens"
10. Gaza - "I Don't Care Where I Go When I Die"

Spleen Latifa:
01. Off With Their Heads - "From the Bottom"
02. Celebrity Murders - "Time to Kill Space"
03. Bruce Banner - "I've Had it with Humanity"
04. Jon Cougar Concentration Camp - "'Til Niagara Falls..."
05. Graf Orlock - "Destination Time Yesterday"
06. Screeching Weasel - "Anthem for a New Tomorrow"
07. Heavy Heavy Low Low - "Turtle Nipple and the Toxic Shock"
08. The Curse - "The Curse EP"
09. Lords - "Swords"
10. Teengenerate - "Get Action"

Heavy Rotation: Fellas of the Belly (June 19)

Alright. I know we've been gone for quite some time. We apologize. I mean, it's not our fault that we were out of the country studying the newest way to mass produce hydrogen-fueled cars. Okay, that was a lie. I shouldn't lie to you. But in all honesty, sometimes shit comes up. But we are back and ready to bring the rock you all have been desperately missing. Am I right? I know I am. So to start the glorious return off, let's get to the Heavy Rotation!

The Hellion:
01. Joan of Arc - Boo Human
02. Bad Brains - Bad Brains
03. Gorgoroth - Destroyer
04. Morbid Angel - Blessed are the Sick
05. Ion Dissonance - Minus the Herd
06. The National Acrobat - For All Practical Purposes is Dead
07. Between the Buried and Me - Between the Buried and Me
08. The Dropscience - Dies Tonight
09. Shikari - 1999-2003
10. Jeniferever - Choose a Bright Morning

Spleen Latifa:
01. iwrestledabearonce - iwrestledabearonce EP
02. Spazz - Sweatin' to the Oldies
03. Plow United - The Dustbin of History
04. The Drips - The Drips
05. Kungfu Rick - Motivation to Abuse
06. Screeching Weasel - My Brain Hurts
07. Crimpshrine - Duct Tape Soup
08. Black Army Jacket - Closed Casket
09. Off With Their Heads - Hospitals
10. Assfactor 4 - Sports LP

[Spleen's Editor Note: When the fuck did we hit 13,000 and some views?? .... Awesometown.]

Heavy Rotation: Fellas of the Belly (Apr. 18)

........ annnnnnnnnnnd we're back in Rotation!

We here at the Belly Full of Sorry would like to extend our deepest gnarpologies to thee and thine for leaving you in the lurch for a quite a spell. Sorry you probably had to spin the last Rotation ad nauseam, biting your fingertips into a bloody pulp of anxiety, worrying your hair out that another one might not show up knocking at your door again, and you'd have no idea what you should be listening to... but have no fear, bearfights... The shit is back. And this time it's sticking to the tile.

Spleen Latifa:
01. Whiskey Sunday - Maldecido
02. Los Crudos - Discografia
03. Backstabbers Inc. - Kamikaze Missions
04. Coliseum/Doomriders - Not of this World EP
05. This is My Fist - A History of Rats
06. Capitalist Casualties - Capitalist Casualties
07. Tragedy - Tragedy
08. Scared of Chaka - Crossing with Switchblades
09. Torche - Meanderthal
10. His Hero is Gone - Fifteen Counts of Arson

Featured Live Show: Converge / The Red Chord

4.05.2008 - Reggie's Rock Club - Chicago

Alrighty. To begin, I need to say that the lineup for this show was fucking incredible. Here's the order of gnardeath appearances:

1. Hewhocorrupts
2. Genghis Tron
3. Baroness
4. The Red Chord
5. Converge


So let's do a little play-by-play so all you readers can get a feel for the destruction. As you already saw from the lineup chart I so generously provided, Hewhocorrupts took the stage first. And of course they were fucking awesome. Pounding through their sharkbite set of grind, these fuckers ended up in their underwear by the end of the set. Unfortunately, I missed the opening songs because I was bit late. You know how it goes; gotta get some of the drinky-poos in before you head out to the venue. Side note: I was wasted by the end of this show. Anyway, these guys tore it up from what I did see.


Next up was Genghis Tron. I love these guys. If anyone remembers, I did a "Found You, Asshole" on them awhile back. Made up of three members (a guitarist, a singer, and a guy that handles all the electronics), GT puts on a pretty interesting show. With a backdrop of these creepy, tall light things that flashed along with the music, the trio brought some killer cybergrind for the crowd. They obviously played a lot off of their new album, so a lot of their set was a little slower than the non-stop blastbeats I was looking forward to. But don't fret! They were still incredible. And, they were amazingly tight. I wouldn't have been surprised if they sounded a bit sloppy because of their goofy setup, but they weren't at all. Nice job, fellas.


After GT came the sweetness that is Baroness. With the booze kicking it and the sounds of sludge/psych-metal blaring, I was pretty much in greatest place ever at this point. I want to make note that our new writer GnarHammer was rocking out harder than fuck to these guys, so you know they have to be good. Baroness actually got a chance to play for a pretty decent amount of time. Unfortunately, as is the case with most shows these days, the crowd seemed a little too young to appreciate the complexity of this quartet, so it didn't really get too jumpin' during their set. Most of these little fuckers were just standing around waiting for their moms to pick them up. This was beginning to irritate Psycho Killa, GnarHammer, and myself, and all this would come to a head as The Red Chord took the stage.


I've seen The Red Chord a few times before, and they are always fucking amazing. This was no exception. How can you not get down with their crazy-yet-still-brutal technicality? It's impossible to try and fight it, or so I thought. Remember the kids waiting for mom? Nobody moved. Literally. Nobody. While the band tried to egg the crowd on, these jackholes just stood there in defiant silence. This is when a few of your favorite Bellions went into action. While I am not one who usually thinks hardcore dancing is all that cool, something needed to be done. So we broke that out to the horror of these 15 year old bastards. As complete confusion overtook most of the crowd (Are these kids actually dancing? Mommy!), some people finally figured out that it was okay to break it down to a band that you like. I lost my hat though during this, and that is the only sad part. Oh yeah, and Psycho Killa and GnarHammer BOTH fucked up their ankles pretty bad. That sucked, too. I made it out with just cuts and bruises, but that is because I am super-human.


Converge. What can be said? They are the godfathers of hardcore. They constantly reinvent themselves and push the boundaries of extreme music. Their shows are always top shelf. As expected, they exploded once on stage and put on a pretty good show. I do have to say, however, that I think they get a little sloppier each time I see them. Maybe I am just losing my excitement, since I have seen them about 5,000 times by now. I don't know. They were great, but it was nowhere near the intensity of the first time I saw them. Or the second. Or the third, etc. Maybe it was the venue. I know the crowd had a lot to do with it, as well, but still, I felt a little let down. There was no Jake grabbing peoples' heads and screaming in their faces. In fact, there was really no crowd interaction at all. I don't even know what to think about it. I think I am just going to blame this on the crowd, but I don't know how much I am just forcing myself to think that since I love them so much. I think I just need them to play in the alley behind my apartment before I make a full-on decision.

So all in all, the show was pretty damn good. My entire party of ragers got a little wounded, and the music was great. Plus there was booze, and booze is our lifeblood. I just wish that the crowds at these shows didn't suck so bad all the fucking time. I literally think I am becoming "that guy" that sits around and thinks about how things used to be "back in the old days."

So Sick It Hurts: Unleashed - "Midvinterblot"

*Editor's Note: The following review was sent to me from a new writer who shall be worshiped under the name GnarHammer (now using Old Iron Blood). Hailing from Iceland, this sexy piece of man knows a thing or two about the metal that will have you thrashing into oblivion. Let's give him a warm welcome.*

Góðan daginn, one and all and welcome to my rant about the merits of Scandinavian metal as exemplified by Unleashed, the Lords of Viking Metal with their 2007 release: Midvinterblot. There will be NO arguing or whining about how "great" or "badass" American "metal" is in comparison because such things simply do NOT exist in the face of such UTTER sonic greatness that is Unleashed. It will be as if someone says to a meat eater that eating such fare is no better than eating fibrous vegetable slush. Complete lunacy! If you persist in your futile debate I will have no choice but to call upon Þór to smite you. No Valhalla for you, weakling!

There are few things in this Mortal world that bring happiness to a Norseman's heart besides bedding a fine wench, filling our bellies with ale in celebration of victorious triumphs over our weak enemies, breaking the skulls of said enemies, and doing so to the immortal slaying metal riffs of Unleashed. When the Valkyries themselves bang their long locks in reverence to such awe-some acoustic genocide then you know that you, pathetic weaklings as you are, should slit your wrists out of hopelessness for your so-called "metal" is nothing but the equivalent of sloppy feces. Your only hope is to give up all your ambition and pray, pray to Óðin that you may have a honorable death and not that of a peasant. All hail Óðin!!!

With such reverent lyrics as:
"Let's drink to Þór. The return of the Sun. And to our dead. Yes!
raise your horns. Hail Þór! Drink to remember our dead!
Midvinterblot!,"
the faithful legions of Pagans will start to stand and claim the pit. Watch yourselves, Christians, for we will take our revenge for your ravaging of our culture as described in SALVATION FOR MANKIND:
"YEAH, resurrect so I can vomit on the body of Christ!"
for ours is a culture that is proud and still strong as told in THE AVENGER:
"Upon this land his forefathers walked. The call from the past.
That warms his heart. Decades pass by, the changing of time.
Still there's a fire that burns inside. Óðin!...hear my call!
Óðin!...hear my call!!."
Metal and it's Lord of Lords, Death Metal, was born in the North and no imitation will stand. Eons have passed, but with such Metal Gods as Unleashed stoking the proud fires within with such war cries as:
"On the endless path of war
We may be torn or beat
but we have sworn to stand as one
In victory or defeat.

We are the immortals.
From hell we rise.
We are the immortals.
Death Metal-no compromise

Others follow the winds of change.
You came to swear allegiance.
No conformity at all.
We didn't come to reason",
we will rise in the face of our enemies and claim what's ours. All hail Óðin!!! All hail Þór!!! For Valhöll awaits! May we die in battle with our swords clenched!! All hail!!!

"The age of the commoner is over. The age of the warrior dawns!"

Here's a little video of Unleashed playing "Midvinterblot" live in Holland.

Heavy Rotation: Fellas of the Belly (March 28)

A day late, but not a dollar short... It's the new Heavy Rotation... Now with more conflict! So dig in and be merry.

Spleen Latifa:
01. F.Y.P. - Incomplete Crap
02. The Suicide File - Some Mistakes You Never Stop Paying For
03. Buzzkill - House of Bad Touch
04. Jesuseater - Step Inside My Death Ray
05. Various Artists - Deathwish Inc: Fighting Music Vol. 2
06. The Company Band - Sign Here, Here, & Here
07. Trial by Fire - Ringing in the Dawn
08. Once Nothing - First Came the Law
09. Untitled Music Project - Untitled Music Project
10. Ceremony - Scared People EP

The (Really Late*) Hellion:
01. Leatherface - "Minx"
02. Dead Kennedys - "Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables"
03. 13 & God - "13 & God"
04. Sixtoo - "Jackals and Vipers in Envy of Man"
05. N.W.A. - "Straight Outta Compton"
06. Fifteen - "Lucky"
07. War from a Harlot's Mouth - Transmetropolitan"
08. The Hope Conspiracy - "Death Knows Your Name"
09. Mice Parade - "Mice Parade"
10. Blood Brothers - "Crimes"

*Sorry I am so late. It was a shitty week.

So Sick It Hurts: Cloak/Dagger - "We Are"

I'm about to throw out a statement that might shake a few of you uninitiated to the core, so prepare yourself... Ready?... I honestly think Richmond's blitzkrieg known as Cloak/Dagger have quite possibly made one of the best records of 2007, one of the best punk/hardcore records of the last two decades... and maybe even (and time will tell) one of my favorite records of all time.

I know, I know... that's three extremely heavy statements to just throw out there about a first full-length record by a band that's still earning their stripes on the road, pounding the pavement like good American hardcore purists. BUT seriously, go pick up this 14-song bomb-blast of energy and intensity and see for yourself. These cats will rock your fucking face off, then hop in their van and leave you in a cloud of sweat and dust. Just like when I found Career Suicide, there was instant shock to my system of that refreshing original hardcore sound I missed out on cuz I was born during its heyday. And I still think I'd give my left arm to be able to be 15 or 16 in 1980.

Follow me here, this single album makes me wanna yell along to the lyrics, kick random people who walk too slow on the sidewalk, rock out air-band style like there's no tomorrow, spit in the face of every physical incarnation that exists solely to keep me in a rut or cause frustration, smash anything that resembles authority, give the finger to meaningless existence, and just flat-out dance around like a nutbag... All the things that drew me into the '80s hardcore fold so wholeheartedly. This album is pure, unbridled angst and urgency, and it should not be ignored... "They Are" definitely powerful shit.

Cloak/Dagger - "Set the Alarm", ""Runways", "Bended Knee", and "Kamikazes" (Live at The Fest 6, Gainesville, FL)

Heavy Rotation: Fellas of the Belly (March 21)

It's March motherfuckin' 21st! Just kidding, there's no need to celebrate such an arbitrary date. Oh wait, you're getting the Rotation! Celebrate, ragers!

The Hellion:
01. Witch Hunt - "...As Priorities Decay"
02. The Clash - "London Calling"
03. Unpersons - "III"
04. Zann - "Three Years in the Desert"
05. Lords - "Swords"
06. The Vandals - "Peace Thru Vandalism/When in Rome Do as the Vandals"
07. NOFX - "Punk in Drublic"
08. My Lai - "Learn, Forget, Relearn"
09. Usurp Synapse - "Disinformation Fix"
10. Fifteen - "Lucky"

Spleen Latifa:
01. A Girl A Gun A Ghost - Through the Eyes of Ahab
02. Small Brown Bike - Dead Reckoning
03. Leatherface - Mush
04. Blues - Death and Taxes EP
05. Off With Their Heads/Four Letter Word - One for the Road EP
06. Whiskey Sunday - Maldecido
07. Be Your Own Pet - Get Awkward
08. The Misfits - Evilive EP
09. Career Suicide - Attempted Suicide
10. Eternal Lord - Blessed Be this Nightmare

So Sick It Hurts: Suicide Silence - "The Cleansing"

Suicide Silence wants to destroy you. Go ahead, ask them. I bet they won't deny it. Do they achieve this? Well, if they didn't, they wouldn't be so sick they hurt, now would they?

These fellas really do bring a pretty brutal experience to the table. For that, I say nice job. I've listened to this album quite frequently lately because I have been in the mood for something punishing. I am never disappointed by letting this bad boy take care of that thirst. While there are sludgier/breakdown parts, most of the album tears through the speakers with aggression depicted through speed. It's nice because the sound of the overall music has a place outside most of the cliche shit that bands have been putting out lately. Plus, there are death vocals. I love death vocals. They make me feel good inside.

I would certainly say this album is one of the better metal records I've heard recently, so you'd be doing yourself an injustice by not checking it out. It will pretty much just bash your head in. I, for one, love having my head bashed. You may want to check out their self-titled EP as well.

Here's the official video for "The Price of Beauty." Rage on!

How 'bout an Interview, Dummy: Josh Scogin of The Chariot

So the nice gentlemen at Metal Injection allowed your friendly neighborhood Spleen Latifa to help out on another juicy little bit of awesometown. And this time it was in the form of an interview with Josh Scogin -- the man, the myth, and the legend behind the always-entertaining bruisers, The Chariot. Check out the video below for the interview the Spleen conducted for MI's site, and also click here for a handful of live clips of The Chariot and Poison the Well from the concert, as well as a shitty sound-quality interview with Chris from PTW. Oh, and don't be frightened... that is the mighty Spleen in the video, MI just made him come up with the fake commoner's name "Sean" to avoid confusion with the Bellicus Fulleron of Hellicus!

Spleen Latifa interviews Josh Scogin on Metal Injection

Heavy Rotation: Fellas of the Belly (March 14)

Let's get ready to ride motorcycles and rock out!

The Hellion:
01. Slayer - Christ Illusion
02. B.B. King - Best Of
03. Apocalypse Hoboken - Easy Instructions for Complex Machinery
04. Miles Davis - Birth of the Cool
05. Mogwai - Rock Action
06. Between the Buried and Me - Colors
07. Killwhitneydead. - Never Good Enough for You
08. Cattle Decapitation - Karma.Bloody.Karma
09. All Shall Perish - The Price of Existence
10. Through the Eyes of the Dead - Bloodlust

Spleen Latifa:
01. Latterman - No Matter Where We Go..!
02. Weedeater - God Luck and Good Speed
03. Dear Tonight - We're Not Men
04. F.U.'s - My America
05. Artimus Pyledriver - Artimus Pyledriver
06. Jawbox - For Your Own Special Sweetheart
07. The Acacia Strain - The Dead Walk
08. Scissorfight - Jaggernaut
09. Smog - A River Ain't Too Much to Love
10. Suicide Silence - The Cleansing

Featured Live Show: Paint It Black (In-Store Performance)

3.01.2008 - Generation Records - NYC

If you recall an earlier post about the sick deal Generation Records had going on (the one where buying Paint It Black's fierce new album from the shop gets your name on the list for an exclusive in-store performance by the band...) then this won't be shocking news to you... and frankly, is easier on me so I don't need to bring you all back up to speed again! Regardless, this Featured Live Show is about that exact appearance by the P.I.B. dudes in the basement of Generation.

Also, tossing me another line, I did some snoopin' on the interwebs and tracked down some footage of the show. So this way, you can see exactly how it was, without me having to give you some snarky, cuss-laden rehash of how it went down. But I will go ahead and say that this show was definitely crucial to me for a specific reason: I finally figured out that I'm old. And I don't mean in the way like "oh, that show was so much fun, it'd made me feel like I was 15 again, cramped into a small room, climbing on top of and slamming into everyone around me, screaming along to the lyrics as loud as I possibly could, forgetting about anything else happening outside of the walls sweatily confining us in with the band" ... Sure that is all true, but I meant in a different way as well.

There was one quick moment when everything became clear to me... and it was when some red-faced teenager with a blond surfer-shag hairdo motioned "you goin' up?" (as in respects to crowd-surfing) to me, and I hesitated for a second, then waved him off. However, instantly after this exchange, I was subjected to an inner dilemma of sorts... because I realized the only reason I didn't boost myself up on everyone's backs, was because I was worried about losing the contents of my pockets(!) ... Don't get me wrong, stage-diving and crowd-surfing were among my favorite activities as a kid at shows, but this was the first time ever for my "sorry, I'm worried my phone, ipod, keys, and/or wallet may disconnect themselves from my person" moment... And I was ashamed... Not only was I ashamed, but I found myself at a crossroads. In front of me, a foot away, was a vicious pack of mosh-drunk kids going nuts for every powerchord, and behind me, ten feet back, sprinkled among the standers, were a couple gray-hairs and sensible older-punk types tapping their toes and bobbing their heads. And then it occurred to me... is the time just around the corner where i'll be stepping ten feet back and rubbing shoulders with a different group of show-goers?

Ah, fuck it... Who am I kidding? ... We here at the Belly never slow down... We fuckin' rage... And that's just the way it is... I probably just had a gas bubble or some heartburn... Cuz it's just like Dr. Yemin says, "We are invincible. We may bend, but we will not be broken."

Paint It Black - Live @ Generation Records NYC (three songs)

GnarVideo of the Week: Mastodon - "Seabeast"

I noticed it's been a bit since we tossed you cats a zesty GnarVideo, and I know Wednesday is supposed to be the day for it, but F it, we missed it a couple times now, so here it is! It's also been a while since the Atlanta bruisers in Mastodon have showed their grizzled faces on the Belly. So breathe a sigh of relief Bellions, for the GnarVids are back... and the wooly Mastodons are ushering them back in.

Anywho, onto the real subject of this weekly column -- the videos. I forget how I stumbled back across this little gem of yore, but I am so fuckin' glad I did. I seriously had to watch the following video at least three times in a row to fully embrace it in all its glory. I would go on record and say it is absolutely gorgeous in most gnar way possible. From the film grain black and white stock, to the subtle skip of the footage, to the concept and execution, to the visuals and art direction... just simply flawless. Also, it manages to show the band jammin' out to the ditty without having to sully the video in some sort of cliche way... I'll stop here before I keep rambling and end up proposing to the video.

Take it for a spin, ace... See if you agree with me:

Mastodon - "Seabeast"

Heavy Rotation: Fellas of the Belly (Mar. 7)

Sorry kiddies, we are a day late and a dollar short with this week's Heavy Rotation! However, the 'Tation steamroller cannot be stopped... and here it is for you:

Spleen Latifa:
01. The Ergs - Upstairs/Downstairs
02. See You Next Tuesday - Parasite
03. Fagatron - S/T
04. Jawbreaker - Bivouac
05. Give Up the Ghost - We're Down 'Til We're Underground
06. Born of Osiris - The New Reign
07. Meat Puppets - II
08. This Moment in Back History - The Cleveland Finger EP
09. The Germs - (MIA)
10. Beneath the Massacre - Mechanics of Dysfunction

The Hellion:
01. Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Yanqui U.X.O.
02. See You Next Tuesday - Parasite
03. Xiu Xiu - Women as Lovers
04. Ed Gein - It's a Shame That a Family Can Be Torn Apart...
05. The Locust - Plague Soundscapes
06. Terminally, Your Aborted Ghost - Inanimately Soundless
07. Logh - Every Time a Bell Rings an Angel Gets His Wings
08. God Dethroned - The Toxic Touch
09. Dillinger Four - Midwestern Songs of the Americas
10. Fugazi - The Argument

Psycho Killa:
1. The Red Chord – Prey For Eyes
2. Carbomb – Centralia
3. The Bronx – The Bronx
4. XXL – Spicchology
5. Whitechapel – The Somatic Defilement
6. Pastime: Roboting – Futuristic Ethnic Jam (single)
7. Converge/Agoraphobic Nosebleed – The Poacher Diaries
8. A Trillion Barnacle Lapse – The Elemental Gearbot
9. Whitesnake – Whitesnake (remastered)
10. Baroness – The Red Album

Featured Live Show: Dillinger Escape Plan / A Life Once Lost (Revisited)

A bit back we threw up a post on the Dillinger Escape Plan / A Life Once Lost show in NYC. Which, if you didn't make it out to it, was nothing short of fucking brilliant. However, there was a little special addition to the punch of this monumental occasion... Your friendly neighborhood Spleen Latifa worked like a busy little bee for the month or so following the show to give you greedy Bellions something to righteously blow your minds on.

What is the fancy gift you ask? Well, early December, right before the show, the Spleen hooked up with the kind gentlemen at Metal Injection and helped them film the glorious show to make it a nice tri-camera affair, and then took all the tapes home from the live sets and edited them up all sexy-like. So below you will find two samples of these clips, and a link to where you can shoot over and see all the live vids we posted up (of DEP, ALOL, Genghis Tron, and Shat) plus two rad interviews with Greg from Dillinger and the nice boys of the Tron. So without further chatterboxing, have at these clips and follow the link to watch the rest!

Find all the clips here on Metal Injection's video player

Dillinger Escape Plan - "Sunshine the Werewolf" (live)


A Life Once Lost - "Pain and Panic" (live)

Heavy Rotation: Fellas of the Belly (Feb. 29)

The Hellion: (bustin' out old records edition)
01. Shikari - Shikari 7"
02. 31 Knots - It Was High Time to Escape
03. Afrika Bambaataa - Looking for the Perfect Beat
04. M.D.C. - Millions of Dead Cops/More Dead Cops
05. Russian Circles - Upper Ninety b/w Re-Enter 7"
06. Agoraphobic Nosebleed/Kill the Client - Split 7"
07. Apocalypse Hoboken/Oblivion - Split 7"
08. Misfits - Collection II
09. Burnt By the Sun/Car Bomb - Split 7"
10. Placebo - Sleeping with Ghosts

Psycho Killa:
01. Acacia Strain – The Dead Walk
02. Lock and key – Pull Up The Floorboards
03. Pig Destroyer – Phantom Limb
04. Saetia – A Retrospective
05. Early Morning, Paris – Static Heart (single)
06. Arsonists Get All The Girls – The Game of Life
07. Bracken – We Know About the Need
08. Hot Cross – Fair Trades and Farewells
09. Doomriders – Black Thunder
10. Dying Fetus – War of Attrition

Spleen Latifa:
01. An Albatross - Eat Lightning, Shit Thunder
02. Defiance, Ohio - The Great Depression
03. Various Artists - Twin Cities Hardcore
04. The Bronx - Bats! EP
05. Coachwhips - Peanut Butter & Jelly
06. Whitechapel - The Somatic Defilement
07. Cephalic Carnage - Lucid Interval
08. A Band of Bees - Free the Bees
09. The Ruts - Something That I Said
10. Arson Anthem - Arson Anthem

So Sick It Hurts: Burnt By the Sun/Car Bomb - "Split 7""

I picked up this limited pressing a few days ago, and I have to say, it rocks something powerful. Car Bomb is represented by two tracks on the split, but both are on their debut LP, so that kind of sucks. Of course, both songs (Pieces of You" and "M^6") are technical beauty though, and that is just special. Burnt By the Sun only has one jam on this thing, but it instantly became one of my favorites by them. It's called "Goliath," and it will shred your face off. The only thing that kind of sucks is the recording quality on the BBTS side. The Car Bomb side is crisp and clear, but the flip is not so much. It's cool though. The artwork is killer, and it's on red or orange vinyl. Whoa!

Check it.

Dispatches from Powerviolence: Spleen has a Quarter-Life Crisis with Against Me!

'Tis true... I am well on my way to becoming that creepy old man I have always dreamed about. And now today, a quarter in, with twenty five long ones under my belt, I shed one tear for the fact that I am no longer eligible for MTV reality shows, leaving my 18-24 demographic behind in a blaze of glory.

Against Me! was one of my crisis gifts... Check out this widget thing below to watch rad realtime footage and photos taken by the band and uploaded to their site instantly and wirelessly while they are currently on tour. If you do some descent slueth work, you can find me making an ass of myself at their photoshoot.

Also, if even more gnarspecial news... The American Black Lung descends on NYC tonight. We love them. Tonight there shall be true raging. Rage with us, or forever hold your peace.

Be excellent to each other... Champagne for my real friends, and real pain for my sham friends.

Keep it wolf.

Heavy Rotation: Fellas of the Belly (Feb. 22)

Many apologies from the crew of this mastship known as the Belly! I know this week was kind of sparse on the juiciness you have come to know and love from us, and again, we are sorry. I for one had my place turned into a revolving door hotel for vagrants, transients, and NYC wayfarers, keeping me from expelling the awesomeness on the pages of the Belly. Expect us to be back in full metal jackets momentarily.

But even though we can sometimes get sidetracked and pulled away from the greater good, the Rotation must keep on rotating! So here it is, chokerazors:

Spleen Latifa:
01. Minutemen - Post-Mersh Vol. 3
02. Heads Will Roll - Heads Will Roll EP
03. Kid Dynamite - Cheap Shots, Youth Anthems
04. Superjoint Ritual - A Lethal Dose of American Hatred
05. Botch - Unifying Themes Redux
06. Alkaline Trio - Remains (don't ask)
07. The Nation of Ulysses - Plays Pretty for Baby
08. Caustic Christ - Can't Relate
09. The Detachment Kit - They Raging. Quiet Army
10. GG Allin & Antiseen - Murder Junkies

Rabble Arouser:
01. Against All Authority - 24 Hour Roadside Resistance
02. The Vibrators - Pure Mania
03. The Vandals - Do as the Vandals Do
04. Siouxsie and the Banshees - Twice Upon a Time
05. The Dropkick Murphys - Do or Die
06. Leftover Crack - Mediocre Generica
07. Bad Religion - Recipe for Hate
08. Social Distortion - Social Distortion
09. The Casualties - Die Hards
10. NIN - Pretty Hate Machine

The Hellion:
01. Cephalic Carnage - Xenosapien
02. Sweet Cobra - Forever
03. Themselves - The No Music.
04. Dying Fetus - War of Attrition
05. Architect - All Is Not Lost
06. Anal Vomit - Deprivation
07. Racebannon - In the Grips of the Light
08. Mikkel Metal - Victimizer
09. Suicide Silence - The Cleansing
10. Hot Cross - Fair Trades and Farewells

Dispatches from Powerviolence: Keep Stopping By, Ragers!

Over the past few months, there has been quite a surge in the amount of visits Belly Full of Hell has gotten. While a few thousand visits over a couple of months might not seem that big of a deal compared to some other pages, I would like to point out that the Belly is still fairly new and not sponsored in any way. Any visits we get are through our own hard work and all our readers' efforts, and to us, watching the numbers steadily climb each month as more and more people stop by is pretty rad. So keep it up, Bellions, and get some of your lazy rock and roll friends to check us out as well. The Belly makes everyone's life a little more worth living.

Thanks again, everyone.

Dispatches from Powerviolence: Keep Commenting!

I noticed we are starting to get a few comments on the past couple of posts. Keep it up, guys. We want to hear from the people that read this site. The point of it is to create musical discussion, and the only way that you can get involved is by leaving your mark. Say whatever you want: piss us off, agree with us, piss off others that have left comments, agree with others that have left comments. Put up your own heavy rotations under ours. Let us know what you think is kicking ass out there. Seriously, if we weren't interested in what anyone else thought, we could just sit around and argue with each other about music instead of taking the time to post our opinions. It would be ideal to one day approach some sort of community feel, but that won't happen without everyone's contributions. We know that our readers are probably just as gnar as we are and obviously listen to the same shit, or you all wouldn't bother to check the blog, so let it out. Say all that stuff that's been sitting in your mind. Do it to it!

Okay, well I'm going to go get drunk now, so have a bitchin' Saturday.

Heavy Rotation: Fellas of the Belly (Feb. 14)

Here you go, Bellions!

The Hellion:
01. Mice Parade - Mice Parade
02. Disfear - Live the Storm
03. Propagandhi - How to Clean Everything
04. Suicide Silence - The Cleansing
05. Ghosts and Vodka - Precious Blood
06. Beirut - The Flying Club Cup
07. The New Bomb Turks - Scared Straight
08. Ratatat - Classics
09. Discharge - Hear Nothing, See Nothing, Say Nothing
10. The National Acrobat - For All Practical Purposes, Is Dead

Spleen Latifa:
01. Paint It Black - New Lexicon
02. The Chariot - Unsung EP
03. Banner Pilot - Pass the Poison
04. Blues - Death and Taxes EP
05. Witches with Dicks - Manual
06. Heavy Heavy Low Low - Courtside Seats...
07. The Arrivals - Goodbye New World
08. The American Black Lung - And They Rode Their Weapons to War
09. Tuesday - Freewheelin'
10. My America is Watching Tigers Die - Narratives

Review Your Face Off: Horrorpops - "Kiss Kiss Kill Kill"

This review started out as cheerful work banter via email. But as suggested by the Hellion, I have relocated it here for you all to see.

Summary of the new Horrorpops for your reading pleasure:

Song 1 – Thelma And Louise: You hear the title of the track said maybe about 5,000 times.

Funny Point Of Song: Just painful to hear the words ‘Thelma and Louise’ about 8 million times.

Song 2 – Missfit: Sounds like a 15 year old girl wrote it screaming about how she’s a ‘Missfit’ by someone else’s standards cause she wants to dye her hair and she’s from the wrong side of town.

Funny point of song: A breakdown of the music to ‘Our House’ but replace lyrics with “my fist, in the middle of your face.”

Song 3 – Boot To Boot: Just boring

Funny Point Of Song: None, just boring

Song 4 – Disco: Not that bad but not really that good either.

Funny Point Of Song: 80’s toms being used and her singing “I don’t know why anyone would want to dress up like an 80’s whore” after she goes on to sing in second song about tired of people oppressing her and not understanding her.

Song 5 – Kiss Kiss Kill Kill: This title track sounds like they were trying to make it epic for their sound. It’s not that bad again but I think we’ve found two more words she likes more than Thelma and Louise.

Funny Point Of Song: Wasn’t paying too much attention to the songs at this point, actually reading an article summary on how bear’s guard Roberto Garza met the Mexican president or some jazz.

Song 6 – Everythings Everything: Another love song in their arsenal of horror rock love songs.

Funny Point Of Song: At several points in the song it sounds like a track from an 80’s movie like 16 candles, breakfast club, etc. Funny after taking the time to make fun of 80’s music in “disco”

Song 7 – Hitchcock Starlet: Kudos for the title and thunder & lightning in intro (we can assume there’s lightning, although all audio, because thunder and the ol’ boltz go hand in hand). Here is where I notice that they really have an indescript sound except for at a couple key points where they strum a chord and you go oh there’s what they’re going for.

Funny Point Of Song: ‘She’s Like A Curry. I Want To Tell Her How Hot She Is, But She’ll Think I’m Being Sexist. She’s So Hot She’s Making Me Sexist. Bitch.’ Flight Of The Conchords is better.

Song 8 – Highway: I’ve given up 6 songs ago at finding a decent song on this album. So I turn my attention to something else after the first 15 seconds of a song. I’ve got nothing.

Funny Point Of Song: Thelma and Louise have gained a new partner, Lucille. Cool…

Song 9 – Horrorbeach Part 2: Is an instrumental surf rock-esque jam that I spent more time thinking about sea creatures during. It would be easy to write something about being glad about not hearing part 1 but it’s not even worth it.

Funny Point Of Song: I noticed on a previous funny point of song I wrote Poiny instead of Point. What? I don’t have much left I’m being bored by this album and the song. I’ve started this now I feel I must finish. Feel has the word eel in it. They’re in the deep cavernous areas of the water.

Song 10 – Refugee: I wonder if she consulted Wyclef (spell check yields Wycliffe which is much better) Jean on the lyrics of this one? No, I don’t think Wyclef has an interest in Copenhagen nor their refugees.

Funny Point Of Song: Writing Poiny instead of Point again. Also, hearing the words ‘Copenhagen Refugee’ and it being earnest attempt at being patriotic.

Song 11 – My Picture: Was on the covers of some magazines so now I will decide to suck it up. That’s what she was thinking. She’s also thinking ‘why did I get involved with a guy who likes to fuck dead chicks? I’m alive and sexually frustrated cause of my decision.”

Funny Point Of Song: Thinking about huffing on the dust off that’s sitting next to my CPU and hoping the song passes by the time the buzz ends. It’s funny how when I don’t like a song of theirs it’s really grating to me.

Song 12 – Private Hall Of Shame: Thank goodness it’s the last one and I don’t have to really do anything at work right now.

Funny Point Of Song: I skipped through it and 4 of the 5 spots I stopped at were ‘la la lada da’. Also noticed that section of my amazing review of this album was originally intended to be a positive section for the album but turned out to just be more goof juice* on their faces.

And just so you all know, the this album is available via Amazon for 2 terds, a kite, and some ants on a log (celery, peanut butter, and raisins). But my advice to you is flush the waste, fly the kite while enjoying a fun lunch time snack possibly reminiscent of your childhood.

*Thanks to Bernat, Kenny for the use of the words ‘goof juice’ together to form a funny way to say ejaculate.

Featured DVD: Flight of the Conchords - The Complete First Season

If you haven't seen this show, I feel sorry for you. It is, in my opinion, the funniest show ever besides Arrested Development. That's saying a lot, I know, but I stand by the statement. The show is about Bret and Jemaine from Flight of the Conchords trying to make it big in New York after moving from New Zealand. For the uninformed, Flight of the Conchords is a folk-comedy duo that writes some of the greatest songs known to man.

The show is set up so we see the two trying to go through daily life, but it is interjected with faux music videos. These can be seen as actual videos the band is making for a particular reason in the episode, as daydreams, or even hallucinations. Either way they come in, they are hilarious. The show itself is really fucking funny, too. The humor is kind of dry and subtle, and that shit is my favorite, so I'm down till I'm underground on this one.

This comes with two DVDs and a total of 12 episodes. I was a little disappointed to see that there weren't any extra features, but it's totally worth it anyway. Go buy this shit.

Here is one of the musical interludes. It comes up as Jemaine and Bret are about to be mugged.

Dispatches from Powerviolence: Exclusive Paint It Black Show... With a Twist

And this bit of news is for the NYC kids on this homefront... So as we all should know, Dr. Yemin and his pummelers in Paint It Black are unleashing their third full-length in just a tiny bit, but the band has decided to pull a little suprise parlor trick for their big apple fans who are chomping at the bit for it. This trick in question is the releasing of their album, New Lexicon, a week early, but only at Generation Records, a block or so below Washington Sq. Park... And shitdamn, fellas, that ain't it! The week-early album will hit Generation on Tues, Feb 12th, and the first 50 people to pic up a copy of it will be "put onto a guest list for an exclusive in-store performance with the band on the afternoon of March 1st".

But don't fret, if you don't pick up one of those first 50 golden-ticket copies of New Lexicon, the PiB dudes will be at the Knitting Factory with Strike Anywhere, a little further downtown, in the evening after the in-store, March 1st... However, I seriously push jumping through the hoops to get the early album and the private show tix, cuz the reviews pouring in about the new LP are fuckin' sick and you know Yemin will be cutting off a piece of the ferocious for ya at Generation... Fuckin' bearfight.

Oh, also, a word to the wise from Generation Records: "You MUST bring a driver’s license or some form of ID with you when you purchase the CD. The guest list spot is NON-TRANSFERABLE. No excuses will be accepted. There will be further details on the show (start time, etc.) next week. Generation Records is located at 210 Thompson St. (between W.3rd and Bleecker St.) in Manhattan."

And check back on the Generation myspace page for any more news and info, jackfucks.

Paint It Black - "Cannibal" (live @ ABC No Rio, NYC)

Dispatches from Powerviolence: You Weren’t There: A History of Chicago Punk, 1977-1984

This one goes out to all my Chi-town homefront bruisers, with many apologies for being two months late on breaking this news... I recently stumbled across info that a documentary was put together on the crucial (yet fuckin' vastly overlooked) Chicago punk scene of the late '70s and early '80s. Though I'm currently and vehemently trying to scour the web on how to see this potential masterpiece, I'm having a little trouble. But that's not gonna stop me from twelve-gauging the news of its existence straight into your frontal lobe.

So anywho, do yourself a favor, dial into the interweb of dreams and do some research as well to find out how you can get a glimpse of this one. With the new trend of docs delving into glanced-over parts of the annals of music history (like American Hardcore, Punk:Attitude, Kill Your Idols, The Future Is Unwritten, Four Years in One Gulp, etc etc) it makes me wanna wet myself to hear that one is being put out about a topic that is usually thrust waaay off the radar. And maybe I’m a little biased at the same time, judging my place of birth, but fuck it. Shits’ll be rad.

It appears the premiere of the film was on Nov. 24th 2007, but I haven’t figured out yet what’s happening with it currently. Is it going on the festival circuit? Straight to DVD? Limited engagements? Are all copies of said film going to be burned in a pile in Grant Park? Haven’t figured all that shit out yet… But if you know anything more, and you’re holding out on us, then comment that shit so we can get the damn word! Also, here is the film’s myspace page if you wanted to keep checking back there for updates…

You Weren't There trailer:

Heavy Rotation: Fellas of the Belly (Feb. 9)

Booyah.

The Hellion:
01. Disfear - Live the Storm
02. Mice Parade - Mice Parade
03. God Dethroned - The Toxic Touch
04. Car Bomb - Centralia
05. Regurgitate - Sickening Bliss
06. The Faceless - Akeldama
07. Russian Circles - Enter
08. Hatesphere - Serpent Smiles and Killer Eyes
09. Trash Talk - Plagues
10. Beirut - The Flying Cup Club

Spleen Latifa (mega into fanning flames this week):
01. hewhocorrupts - The Discographer
02. Refused - Songs to Fan the Flames of Discontent
03. DRI - Dirty Rotten LP
04. Jawbreaker - Unfun
05. Corn on Macabre - I & II
06. Circle Jerks - Group Sex/Wild in the Streets
07. 7000 Dying Rats - Fanning the Flames of Fire
08. The Broadways - Broken Star
09. Poison the Well - Tear from Red
10. Millions of Dead Cops - Millions of Dead Cops/More Dead Cops

GnarVideo of the Week: The Chariot - "They Faced Each Other"

All hail the concept video that actually fuckin works!

I just imagine when a band sits down with a director for a chatterboxing about how they are going to accomplish cookin' the rad with their new video, a lot of bullfuck ideas get thrown into the mix. That's why videos with horrendous CGI green-screen work, asinine car chases, and goofy theatrics that sully the original song exist in the music world today. But every once in a while a concept comes around that is executed in such an airtight manner that you can't help but wonder why the damn nobody has tried to land it before... This video is one of these said cases... Fuckin' tenfold.

As you can gather from the preview-still on the video player below, the gist of what lays ahead is sprawled out on the kitchen counter for ya. By all accounts, a simple premise, but as youtube has shown us time and time again, the sequential ordering of still images is an unforgiving bitch. However! In this video, The Chariot scamps bring the snazz and blur the brutal like we all knew they would. Having a photographer snap away 10 grand o' shots of the guys sledging away at their chosen track while sprinkling in the always necessary melee as well, and then assembling half of these pics into a flipbook of destruction(!) ... Not sure if that warranted an exclamation or not, so you get a subliminal one that you can utilize if you see fit... Oh, and also, this vid is honor of The Chariot show next week with Poison the Well... Be there cuz we're squares, jerkcity.

The Chariot - "They Faced Each Other"

Important Moments in Powerviolence: Oh Shit, The Mark Shows Itself.

....... The end is nigh.

Dispatches from Powerviolence: Bad Brains Named Artist of the Week on MTV

What the fuck just happened?

Seriously... What the fuck.

I feel like I was sucker-punched in neck with a Master lock... Or started eating what I thought was cotton candy and turned out to really be pink wall insulation... Is it a good thing? Is it a bad thing? I'll leave that up to you nasty Bellions to decide... We just deliver the news here in the Dispatches. BUT I will go ahead and say I'm pleased with this tidbit of insanity, and really think we are heading towards imminent destruction. Bad Brains, without a fuckin doubt, started out as one of the sickest purveyors of the American Hardcore movement, and then as time went on, divided fans with the increasing introduction of reggae into their blitzkrieg arsenal. Which, in my opinion, is also why I am still personally divided on the new album they put out this past year... Basically cuz i consider myself an early-80's hardcore purist of sorts. I want the intensity, the fervor, the viciousness, the bark and the bite, the nihilism, the anger, the speed... I want it all. But I really found their new cuts lacking in that department (and no, I am not going to discuss the always present ranting on what HR's spiritual and mental positions are and how they effected the sound), but I just am still on the fence with it...

Anyway, about that imminent demise on the horizon... Bad Brains featured on MTV? DEP on Charlie Rose? ETID on Kimmel? Lamb of God on Conan? I feel like someone is teasing me... But regardless, more power to the Brains. Hopefully this brings in a whole new crop of attention and fans to what most of us already knew was fuckin brutally beautiful... I've got that fuckin P.M.A. indeed.

Here's what MTV had to say about the matter: "Bad Brains are, in short, legendary. Epic, even. They’re incontestably, verifiably, indisputably and irrefutably one of the most iconic American hardcore bands of all time. Formed in the early 1980s, they blew apart the Washington, D.C., scene with a unique fusion of punk aggression and reggae grooves. Oh yeah, and they’re old. (How old? Their first album was issued in 1982 on the cassette-only indie label ROIR). They came up at a time when speed was king, bands raging about politics was de rigeur, and the underground music scene of which they were a part created the aggressive sounds that would influence mainstream music for the next decade and beyond. In short, they were at the forefront of a genuine musical movement... Maybe you’ll like them. Maybe you won’t. Either way, you’ve got to respect who they are, where they came from and why they’re important — then and now." ....... Cute, I guess... I'm down.

Bad Brains - "Pay to Cum" (live @ CBGB's, 1982)

Found You, Asshole: Car Bomb

A lot of bands come from the East Coast, but not all the bands from that area are actually good. Car Bomb is. In fact, Car Bomb is damn good. Using the theory that tempo changes, stop/go antics, and overall technical destruction is the best way to approach song writing, these fellas create some insanely chaotic sounding, yet obviously carefully crafted, tech-grind. Seriously, this shit is some of the heaviest and most techy music I have heard in a long time.

I think that's what makes it so fucking rad. This stuff is all over the place and definitely shows off their ability to play and write, yet it remains ridiculously brutal. All the time. It's not heavy and then all space-jazz-deconstructivist-interludy. It's fucking destructive constantly. It's mind-bending how powerful these guys sound. Unfortunately, they only have one guitarist, so the guitar work has to be overlaid on their recordings which might kind of kill the vibe in a live show, but whatever. I'm not talking about their live shows, so I guess it doesn't really matter at this point. On the record the guitars are awesome.

Everything about these guys is pretty gnar. The drum-work is great. The guitars are heavy and crazy. The vocals are good. The guy's pretty good with his range and utilizes a bunch of different squeals and yelps throughout the jams. That's pretty much all you need for a good band, as long as they can manage to come up with interesting songs, which Car Bomb totally does. Check them out as soon as you can. They have an LP out called Centralia and a split 7" with Burnt by the Sun, who are pretty fucking tight in their own right.

Here's the video for "M^6" which is a killer song off of Centralia:

Featured Live Show: Hot Water Music

2.01.2008 - Metro (Chicago, IL)

As some of you may remember, I did a "Get the Fuck Back Together, Idiots" on Hot Water Music a little while back. Well, they listened. Backing up the release of Till the Wheels Fall Off, a collection of rarities, songs from splits, etc, HWM went on tour. I also mentioned this on the site when I first caught wind of it. Turns out I kinda really think Hot Water rocks the fuck out of the world.

So I obviously went to this reunion show, and it was, of course, fucking amazing. Hot Water are one of the greatest bands to see live. Each show is chock-full of raw energy and crazy fist-pumping. On top of that, every time I see them they get a little better. This time around they played as tight as can be, even though there was a good amount of liquor in them. Surprising, isn't it? Chris was looking pretty wasted by the end of the show, actually. Chuck was drinking whiskey and Guinness. He's probably the coolest guy alive at this point. Not because he drinks whiskey, but because he just knows how to bring the rock like no other. Anyway, they played hella great. The crowd was going nuts for everything, but songs from Caution and Never Ender were the biggest, which is pretty much to be expected. When they unleashed "Alachua" during the encore, the place exploded. Beer was flying everywhere and I somehow ended up on my back. I think some homeboy tried to grab onto me on his way down for support but just dragged me with him. It's cool though, that's the price to pay for being front and center. I do have to say, however, that there was a high turnout of fuckwads at this show, which always sucks. We got tickets to the show that was NOT all ages for obvious reasons (they are playing another tonight in the Chi that is all ages), but that doesn't mean you don't have immature cuntrags showing up. The one I attended was 18 and over, so we still got stuck with some high school-esque fuckers that were trying to emulate what they saw on MTV in the pit. At one point I literally had to grab some kid by the neck and tell him if he hit me in the head again I was going to beat the shit out of him. That seemed to remedy the problem.

I heard in the pisser that Small Brown Bike was supposed to open but canceled. I don't know how true that is. That would have been a double reunion show of two fantastic bands, but whatever. The bands that did play with HWM were pretty uneventful, and I spent the time during their sets downing liquid courage, so I am not going to bother mentioning who they were or how they played.

I just hope Hot Water takes all the shouting of "Get back together!" to heart and decides to do just that. I miss those guys. They even managed to tug at the heartstrings by mentioning how much they loved playing the Fireside Bowl. Damn.

Here's about 20 seconds of them playing last night:


Here they are playing live somewhere before they broke up (watch Chris rock out pretty hard in the background):

Heavy Rotation: Fellas of the Belly (Feb. 1)

FUCKIN FRIDAY! FUCKIN FRIDAY!
HEAVY ROTATION! HEAVY ROTATION!
SOILED PANTS! SOILED PANTS!

Spleen Latifa:
01. Duck Duck Goose - Noise, Noise, & More Noise EP
02. Fifteen - The Choice of a New Generation
03. The Ergs - Upstairs/Downstairs
04. Clutch - Clutch
05. From Ashes Rise - Nightmares
06. J Church - The Horror of Life
07. Wolfbrigade - Progression/Regression
08. Fake Problems - How Far Our Bodies Go
09. Fury - Resurrection EP
10. Skitsystem - Grå Värld / Svarta Tankar

The Hellion:
01. Dying Fetus - War of Attrition
02. Flight of the Conchords - Season One Music
03. Slayer - Reign in Blood
04. Eyehategod - Take as Needed for Pain
05. The Sawtooth Grin - Cuddle Monster
06. Exhumed - Gore Metal
07. Corn on Macabre - Chapters I and II
08. Kreator - Endless Pain
09. Suicide Silence - The Cleansing
10. As Blood Runs Black - Allegiance

Dispatches from Powerviolence: Bobby Steele's '12 Hits from Hell' Sans Misfits

Alright, hellraisers, this will be a quick bite of news cuz i don't know how huge of news this really is... But it seemed pretty damn important to me. SO, if you loyal readers are as big of fiends for the 'Fits as we fellas of the Belly are, then you know all about the spaghetti western of drama that their past entails... Double crosses, shady moves, broken friendships and alliances, and evolutions into cartoony letdowns have all run rampant. But this one story in particular was always one that piqued my interest and wet my intrigue.... The one about Bobby Steele and his 12 Hits from Hell tracks.

Well, the paraphrased version of the yarn goes like this: Bobby was the guitarist for the Misfits from '78 - '80, and when Danzig and the gang went in to record their 12 Hits from Hell, he laid down his guitar tracks for it. However, ever the unpredictable band, he was booted and replaced with Jerry Only's brother Doyle, who then re-recorded the guitar tracks. But interestingly enough, both guitarist's work went into the mix and thus made the only 'Fits album with dual guitars. Even stranger, the album was released in stores for like a fuckin' minute, and then pulled back off the shelves again (for reasons shady and unknown)...

But! If you were unable to get a pre-ordered album, or can't find it on a downloading program, or aren't willing to pay the $219.95 that I see it listed as on Amazon, there is quite an interesting new tangle to this story (brace yourself, here comes the news flash).... Bobby Steele took it upon himself to take his guitar tracks he previously laid down, and re-record the whole album himself the way he saw it being back in the day... And he even did us a giant gnarfavor by posting all 12 of his Hits from Hell up on his website, and streamed it for your listening pleasure... They're a little more garage poppy than normal, and lacking in the "Evil Elvis" department being without Danzig's vocals, but the songs still come through airtight and as beautiful and whence they were made....

Have your own damn looksee and judge for yourself: Bobby Steele's 12 Hits from Hell