Saturday, December 19, 2009

Heavy Rotation: December 18, 2009

And here we are, back on track... Hit it up, fuckrazors.

Spleen Latifa:
01. Phobia - 22 Acts of Random Violence
02. North Lincoln - Midwestern Blood
03. Choking Victim - No Gods / No Managers
04. Insect Warfare - World Extermination
05. The Copyrights - Mutiny Pop
06. Infest - Discography
07. Bullet Treatment - The Mistake
08. Spazz - Dwarf Jester Rising
09. Tear It Up - Taking You Down With Me
10. Combatwoundedveteran - This Is Not An Erect, All-Red Neon Body

The Hellion:
01. Knights of the Abyss - Shades
02. Lewd Acts - Black Eye Blues
03. I Declare War - Amidst the Bloodshed
04. Crestfallen - Streaks of Terror
05. Mastodon - Leviathan
06. Skullflower - IIIrd Gatekeeper
07. God Equals Genocide/Shang-A-Lang - Split
08. Razor of Occam - Homage to Martyrs
09. Mayhem - De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas
10. Racebannon - In the Grips of the Light

Monday, December 14, 2009

Review Your Face Off: Lewd Acts - "Black Eye Blues"

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San Diego is home to many things, most of which I can't think of right now. However, there is one important thing that comes to mind, and that happens to be the band Lewd Acts. I think you should know about them and their album on Deathwish Inc., so I'm going to give you the lowdown.

If you are a fan of raw and gnarly hardcore, then you need to set aside some time to rage out to Black Eye Blues. Lewd Acts isn't here to try and start a new scene or fit into the latest trend; these fellas are keeping hardcore true to its roots. This record is chock-full anthems for those with bleak views on pretty much everything. While other bands are pumping out crap that remains irrelevant to their audience, Lewd Acts manages to hit home with listeners by taking the time to show they actually give a shit about what they are putting out for consumption.

Most of the album keeps a fantastic amount of energy, but at times it does seem to get a little slow and even drag. It's alright though, because there is a lot more good on this record than bad. Songs like "Young Lovers, Old Livers" and "Wide Black Eyes" will bring you back to the times before hardcore was a fashion show. You'll be screaming along to this like you did the first time you heard Minor Threat (or The Counting Crows, depending on how you were raised).

So there you have it; this album isn't so sick it hurts, but it's definitely worth checking out.

Here's Lewd Acts live playing "Penmanship Sailed" off this album:

Heavy Rotation: December 14, 2009

It's been a long, long time since we put up a Heavy Rotation, but in case you haven't noticed, we're actually posting shit again. I know it's a Monday, so we'll post what we listened to last week. This upcoming Friday, look for another Rotation showing what we jam to in the days to come. Don't fret, these will be back in the normal Friday spot come the end of this week.

I would also like to make note of a new writer the Belly is proud to have. You might have noticed someone named Old Iron Blood has popped up on our contributor list. Yes, friends, we are expanding! If you remember back, we had an article posted about Unleashed's Midvinterblot, and now the man responsible for that article is here ready to rock with the crew. As usual, these are in no particular order, so let's get to it.

The Hellion:
01. Wolfbrigade - Comalive
02. Breathe In - From This Day On
03. Disfear/Doomriders - Split 7"
04. Sworn In - Sworn In EP
05. SS Decontrol - The Kids Will Have Their Say
06. Dimmu Borgir - In Sorte Diaboli
07. Behemoth - Evangelion
08. Origin - Antithesis
09. Me and Him Call It Us - Loss
10. Cephalic Carnage - Xenosapien

Old Iron Blood:
01. The Faceless - Planetary Duality
02. By Night - A New Shape of Desperation
03. Bloodbath - Unblessing the Purity
04. BloodStream Parade - The Apocalypse in Retrospect
05. Agalloch - Ashes Against the Grain
06. Dimmu Borgir - In Sorte Diaboli
07. Grand Magus - Iron Will
08. Vader - Necropolis
09. Katatonia - Night is the New Day
10. Gama Bomb - Citizen Brain

Spleen Latifa:
01. Pretty Little Flower – Pulverizing Lethal Force
02. Black Army Jacket – Closed Casket
03. Hellnation – Cheerleaders for Imperialism
04. Coke Bust – Lines In The Sand
05. Blotto – Get On Bored
06. XBRAINIAX – Hail Fastcore
07. Traitors – Traitors
08. Low Red Land - Dog's Hymns
09. No Comment – Discography '87-'93
10. Jawbreaker – Unfun

Sunday, December 13, 2009

So Sick It Hurts: Low Red Land - "Dog's Hymns" and "Weight of Nations"



Ok, truth be told, this was just going to be a So Sick about Low Red Land's brain-flooring and practically pitch-perfect "Dog's Hymns"... but as I was refreshing my memory of the brilliance that is that record, I was reminded of the stepping stone brilliance that paved its way: their previous monstrous effort, "Weight of Nations". Perplexed with how to approach this gnarcolumn, not wanting to sacrifice any opportunity to turn any of you loyal Bellions onto ridiculously talented and masterful artists you might not have came across yet, I decided to make this So Sick more just about the band itself, since I'm including both their full-lengths, which to my knowledge is pretty much their discography. I promise to keep that a one-time occurrence, since we probably don't want this to evolve into just a mere gushing over a rad band, but rather keep it about an over-the-top sick record you need to own, like, yesterday.



So anywho, where do I begin? Fuckin Low fuckin Red Land... Fuck... I will go out on a limb and say "Dog's Hymns" is probably one of the few records that I would truly refer to as a "cinematic triumph". No joke in the slightest. Each track after track just paint and evoke such vivid, and often haunting, representations of our most basic of feelings: be it despair, triumph, regret, optimism, loss, camaraderie, rage, nostalgia, sadness, etc. It baffles me how this band can capture more raw, gritty, aggressive emotion in one verse than some brutal bands can in an entire album, let alone their entire career. But this isn't even the clincher -- They can do it in a song that is most assuredly the opposite of brutal. Hell, they can even do it with just a fuckin banjo. And if you can make a banjo stir up such visceral feelings that can make a brain feel like it's on autopilot, lost in a movie scene directed by the accompanying tragic/inspiring lyrics, you win.

But don't get me wrong, these guys are not some sad-sack piece of shit weepy band... They construct every turn of their musical landscape with fucking teeth. They deliver those kinds of sentiments that can hit you in the gut like that first time you saw your tough as nails father accidently let a little of the waterworks show through his stonefaced exterior, to only choke it back down again into forgotten existence. Shit, I have never heard so many songs one after another that would be the quintessential soundtrack behind every shot in a movie where a character stands lips pursed staring off into space... I'm looking at you Gus Van Sant... And I haven't even begun to talk about the songs where the singers fucking YELL. These cats have shredded throats can peel paint off a '74 Dodge. The range of the tunes are seriously fucking batty. I dunno, I could totally be in the minority with these claims, so you'll just have to pick up these two records and decide for yourself. But seriously heed this call, cuz I really doubt you'll be disappointed in the slightest.

Low Red Land - "Dog's Hymn" (live @ Monkeywrench Books SXSW '08)


Low Red Land - "Dreams That Heroes Dream"

Dispatches from Powerviolence: Earth Crisis Post Entire Concert Online



Stumbling around the interwebs, I found some news that over at your friendly neighborhood UVTV, footage from an entire recent live Earth Crisis show has been posted online. And just our luck, the video happened to be gnar-embeddable, so you lazy bums don't have to travel too far to get your hungry meathooks on the vid... Oh, and say what you will about EC, their politics, or the vegan/straight edge movement in general, but there is no denying they had some fucking sick records back in the day. Who can deny that live cut of their cover of Cream's 'Sunshine of Your Love' from The Oath That Keeps Me Free? That shit fucking slayed tenfold... Honestly, I haven't delved into their newest record yet, so I don't have an opinion on where I stand with this current reformed Earth Crisis, but I'm adding it to my to-do list as we speak... jerks. So anyway, if you're a fan or even just mildly interested, pull up a chair, pop some popcorn, and enjoy the entire show while you floorpunch to your heart's content in the comfort of your own home or office.

Here's the setlist, in case you wanna be a dick and fast forward to your faves:

1. Against The Current
2. All Out War
3. Forged in the Flames
4. Wrath of Sanity
5. No Allegiance
6. Forced March
7. End Begins
8. To Ashes
9. Gommorah’s Season
10. Born from Pain
11. To The Death
12. Firestorm

Also, click thru to UVTV's site for the info to download this footage from iTunes... If that's your thing. Dirty fucks.

Friday, December 11, 2009

Featured Live Show: The Chariot / Horse the Band / Arsonists Get All the Girls



Tonight, there shall be distortion... And it was good.

The night in question was last night at Gramercy Theater (Blender Theater, if ya nasty)... Beards aplenty filed into the Manhattan club to boogie down with chaos engineers The Chariot, along with Arsonists Get All the Girls, Horse the Band... (and *sigh* Norma Jean)... After waiting in line outside the venue in the fucking freezing cold, stupidly wearing just fingerless gloves as my only winter accessory, I took a seat in the Old Man Section in the back of the club to rest my frail, aging bones and to get a bird's eye view of the audience in attendance. One thing I instantly noticed was the noticeably noticeable harsh divide of the crowd: either late-twenties-ish bearded and flannel-clad gentlemen or 14 year old scenester co-eds in neon-splashed graphic tees, graphic hoodies, and skinny jeans, with noses buried in their cellphones, no doubt twattering nonstop about how the show is going to be the most epically massive "evar"... I wept silently within... but not in a goth way... in a man way.

Anywho, it didn't take long into the show to see who these children were here for... judging by their attention to the Arsonists set that opened the night, they were definitely Horse/Norma fans. Don't get me wrong, I'm not here to shat on the headliner of the night or their direct support (I just honestly think someone shoulda stuck with their original vicious blueprint while someone else needs to start expanding on their schtick... respectively). In other words, these two will not be discussed here. Only the two I traversed midtown to go see...


(Arsonists)

As mentioned before, AGATG kicked off the night... and they did so with fuckin fire. This is only the second opportunity I have been able to catch these cats, and it has been a long time coming. The first time being at the New England Metal and Hardcore Festival two or three years ago when they were only a mere "I've heard a few decent things bout these guys, maybe I'll give them a passing listen for a song or two" blip on my radar. And ever since have grown into an act that always seems to find its way into my listening rotation, thoroughly pummeling my ear canal in some of the most wonderful ways possible... See the track "Shat Shart Tart" if you need an example... Anywho, their set paraphrased: ridiculously awesomely abrasive. My only slightly negative comment would be that they seemed cramped as hell up there with six members and what looked to be all the bands' gear for the rest of the night. But regardless, they still delivered the wallop, though I noticed they seem to be drifting in a more accessibly brutal direction, I hope which continues to be a positive thing rather than detracting.


(The Chariot)

And then it was time for the main event... Well, the main event in my personal opinion... And boy howdy, did they ever fucking bring the ruckus. Fucking A right, The Chariot NEVER cease to amaze me live. It just seriously never gets old. They fucking wail, and they're a cavalcade of cacophony, hellbent on obliterating every notion of a nice, calm rock show... Instruments thrown, abrasive lighting, alienating feedback, dizzying ragdoll antics by the members, and general disregard for any kind of structure or even fuckin safety, are all par for the course with the ones they call the Chariot... If you can't tell, I'm kind of a fanboy for these guys. They're like my little underdogs. Momma's special little guys... It was somewhere between the jarring mash of feedback and samples and the whipping around of a workshop hook lamp that I realized I wasn't going to do this set or any set of theirs any justice through verbally trying to describe it. You just have to do yourself a favor, tuck in your balls, and go see these delightfully damaging little scamps when they blow through your town... And do like I did, make sure you venture out of the Old Man Seats for these guys, cuz it's just a tiny bit better when a guitar neck narrowly misses clipping your ear. It always is.

And to send you packing with a smile, a splendidly beautiful representation of why The Chariot is one of the most INFUCKINCREDIBLE live bands ever... Go see for your damn self, ass:

The Chariot - Unofficial video for "Teach" (sick live montage):

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

So Sick It Hurts: Disfear / Doomriders - Split 7"

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When I first got my grubby hands on this 7", I was happier than a frat guy with a garbage can full of jungle juice. Disfear is one of my favorite bands, and Doomriders never disappoints. Bellions, this is a marriage than can not go wrong.

The split contains one song from each band, and both are top notch. Disfear delivers a little number called "Fear and Trembling," and it is one of the best songs I have heard from the band. The Swedish D-Beat group decided to add a good amount of melody to this track, and it adds a new dimension of emotion that sits pretty with the usual urgency these guys are known to project in their music. Fantastic song on all counts. Any fan of the band needs to hear it.

While Disfear represents with ONE of the best songs they've ever written, Doomriders presents THE best song the band's ever written. "Crooked Path," which is also available on their latest release Darkness Comes Alive, is everything you could possibly want from these fellows. It too introduces a bit more melody than usual, but keeps the same edge you would expect. The first time I played this song, I had to listen again. Then I listened one more time. I'm sure this will rank in your top three Doomriders jams. If it doesn't, the Spleen will mail you ten bucks.

This record is a limited pressing, so pick it up as soon as you can. You can thank me later.

Disfear playing "Fear and Trembling" live:


Doomriders "Crooked Path" with a picture of the 7". (I hate it when people do this.)

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

So Sick It Hurts: Wolfbrigade - "Comalive"

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When I first listened to Wolfbrigade's Comalive, I thought to myself, "Can an album be this fucking gnarly? Is it possible?" Yes, friends, it is possible, and I thank Satan himself for such greatness and for allowing us to rage this hard. I thank Wolfbrigade, too, but not as much.

Known as Wolfpack before the late 90's, these Swedes have continuously pumped out righteous D-Beat crust for our listening pleasure, and Comalive does not disappoint in the least. I seriously cannot stop listening to this record. Expect to see it show up on many "Heavy Rotations" to come, assuming we actually start writing them again. I suppose I just can't get enough of the pure speed and sonic mayhem, the crunch of the guitars that just beg for fist-pumping and generally debauchery, or the vocals that make me want to yell along until my throat feels like sandpaper (with blood on it, of course).

D-Beat and crust punk is not about technicality and precision, but leaving those things behind opens the door for straight-ahead rock and roll. Wolfbrigade embraces this and delivers an album that just shreds the hell out of everything around you. Seriously, I just looked at my bed, and the whole thing was shredded. The beer can next to me? Shredded. The cats? Shredded to bits. The letter Wolfbrigade sent me saying they weren't sorry for shredding the fuck out of all the shit in my room? Completely destroyed. (It was shredded.) Don't get me wrong, this album isn't sloppy or something like that, it just doesn't pull any punches for masturbatory noodling. It's in your face like a zit in seventh grade. This album fucked your mom.

Buy this, but make sure to remove anything you want to keep in good condition from your house.

Check out the video for "Ride for a Fall" on Comalive below:

Sunday, December 6, 2009

GnarVideo of the Week: The Bronx - "Knifeman"



It's been a while since the last GnarVideo, but fret not... we still love you. This week's installment of our column masquerading as a finger on the pulse of the music video scene comes from the swaggeringly vicious LA boys in The Bronx. Though their latest self-titled album, unofficially referred to as The Bronx III, had the kids divided, I still will always give these bruisers the benefit of the doubt. Also, anyone that's seen them live can attest to their devotion to the sound... the energy... the power... the heart... the sexiness... the sleaziness... and the violence. So arguments about the quality of the latest album aside, we bring you their video for the single entitled "Knifeman".

This is the second video from III, though I personally consider it the first... Since their first one was just a song over some weird wrestlers in S&M-ish Tron outfits and shit. And frankly, I consider any video that doesn't have the band in it (either just acting out a narrative or pantomiming rocking the fuck out) as a serious cop-out (with the only exception being that Pearl Jam/Todd McFarlane animated video, which was the tits... The video, not the band or the song). Anywho, this latest one, like almost all their videos prior, has a very clever catch to it. This time being: the band rocking the fuck out underwater, in a pool, with their instruments and whatnot... Yes. That simple. Yet it totally makes me smile like a grin like a fuckin dummy dumdum, and I hope you do to. Have fun.

The Bronx - "Knifeman"

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Dispatches from Powerviolence: Maryland Deathfest Line-Up Posted



....... AND IT BE FUCKIN RIGHTEOUS.

I am seriously beyond jazzed after seeing this massive bit of news... Honestly, I had no idea how last year was going to be topped with the ridiculous line-up they had (Pig Destroyer, Napalm Death, Brutal Truth, Magrudergrind, The Red Chord, Trap Them, Rotten Sound, Weekend Nachos, Cephalic, Victims, Kill the Client, Venomous Concept, Bolt Thrower, Cattle D, Phobia, Birdflesh, etc etc ... just off the top of my head). But it seems the MDF braintank deserves yet another gold medal for bill-filling again this year, as the flyers below clearly show... Rhymes.

Last year was also the first to have indoor and outdoor stages, which helped a lot with not having to be velcro'd between two giant sweaty mouthbreathers in Pestilence and Mayhem shirts for 11 hours straight... so hopefully that stays the same. But holy sharkfuck, even the "pre-party" the night before is insane! All hail the 18 second song!

UGH... I'm seriously counting down the hours... Where to even begin??? Converge, Entombed, Capitalist Casualties, Total Fucking Destruction, Verbal Abuse, Magrudergrind, Trap Them, Birds of Prey, Iron Lung, XBRAINIAX, Pretty Little Flower??? I already have a grind/crust/violence/fastcore/hardcore boner. And it is good.

Official MDF VIII Site

Click the images to see them full size...



Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Dispatches from Powerviolence: That's Some Heavy Shit, Brah

We here at BFoH love some good old brutality, and we assume you do to. Because of this, I have a prepared a short list of insanely brutal jams to bash your head to. These might be heavy from start to finish, have crazy breakdowns, or just be so fast your they'll make your ears bleed. Of course there are many more intense songs out there, so these are just some off the top of my head, presented in no particular order. So have fun with these bad boys, ladies and gentlemen.

The Acacia Strain - Demolisher
From start to finish, this track with fuck your shit up. Not to mention, the breakdown is one of the best I've ever heard.

Carnifex - The Diseased and the Poisoned
This one will leave your body mutilated when you leave the pit.

Destroyer Destroyer - Horse Drawn
These guys are just completely insane.

Cephalic Carnage - Endless Cycle of Violence
Technical and fast as balls, this jam will make sure your brain doesn't work for the next 48 hours.

Ion Dissonance - OASD
Super technical. Super mathy. Super heavy.

See You Next Tuesday - In the End
Slow and monstrously heavy.

Me and Him Call It Us - Innocent Bystanders Watched in Horror as Peter Jennings Drew His Murder Weapon
Controlled chaos? Um, sort of...

Ani DiFranco - Red Letter Year
My friends, it doesn't get more brutal than trying to listen to this. Trust me.

Monday, November 30, 2009

Dispatches from Powerviolence: Small Brown Bike is Back Together

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Photo from smallbrownbike.com

I feel bad for sitting on this one for so long. At the beginning of October, Small Brown Bike announced they were getting back together. Not only do they have some shows scheduled, but they also said they are putting together new music, and to prove it, released a 7” with two new songs on it entitled “Composite, Volume One.” The lineup is the original members, so we should all expect the great music we loved from the band before they broke up.

Check out the band's new site here: Small Brown Bike

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Review Your Face Off: Behemoth - "Evangelion"

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Behemoth, one of Poland’s best known metal bands, started out as what would be considered a more straight-forward black metal group, but that’s changed over time. Nowadays these fellas deliver a blackened death metal sound, which is fine by me, because I can still get my rage on to it.

Overall, I think this release is pretty solid. There are some songs that I think are great, and there are some songs that I could do without. Musically, Behemoth gives you a big, fat dose of what you’d expect from a blackened death metal band. Generally, everything is at a super fast tempo, and while bludgeoning, the listener still gets the opportunity to hear the amount of talent everyone has. Inferno is fantastic with his drumming, and all guitar work is pretty intense. Behemoth uses a lot of Middle-Eastern influences throughout the compositions, and although they don’t use it nearly as much as a band like Nile, it opens up a certain amount of dimension in a genre that can lead to extremely similar sounding bands. Lyrically, it’s no surprise that most subject matter deals with the occult, and the vocals are kept in a growl.

“Ov Fire and the Void” and “Lucifer” are the standout tracks in my opinion. The others on the album are all good, but they can suffer from starting to sound the same after awhile. I’m not necessarily saying the album gets boring, however; I’m more or less pointing out that you can forget a new song has started.

I would definitely recommend this to someone who’s interested in black metal, death metal, or blackened death metal, but I would slap a disclaimer on there that it’s not going to be the best out there.

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Old Timers: Sleep - "Dopesmoker"

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Alright, I’m sure some of you out there are asking why Dopesmoker is coming up as an Old Timer, since it was released in 2003. First of all, I would like to point out that when we first started Old Timers, we explained that we weren’t positive how old something would need to be in order to qualify. So, this album was released six years ago, and since I’m an editor for the site, I say that’s fine.

But wait! Like an amazing infomercial, there’s always more. Turns out, this album has a past some may not know about. It was released in a slightly different form under the name Jerusalem as a bootleg and then officially in 1998 and 1999 respectfully. The label carrying Sleep was causing issues, and the band didn’t want to edit any portions. However, since the song was already tracked and whatnot, it ended up getting released as said bootleg split up into sections instead of the 105 minute single song as the band intended, and then was later picked up by a label. So technically, this bitchin’ tune goes back to the 90’s. The version I am yapping about in this post is the 2003 release put out the way the band had always wanted.

So now that I got all that information out of the way, you can set your dicks to hard and get ready for the actual reasons this record is getting a post. The main reason, of course, is that it’s fucking awesome. If you want to get into stoner metal or doom metal, this is a great place to start, and if you’re already into said genres and haven’t heard this, ask your mom to bring you to the mall to pick this shit up. The version going as Dopesmoker contains the epic title track and another called “Sonic Titan,” which is recorded live. “Sonic Titan” is much shorter and a bit faster paced, but it’s not the real reason to grab this record. It’s all about “Dopesmoker.”

Listening to over an hour and a half of metal is always gnarly as balls, especially if it’s uninterrupted. Although slow, “Dopesmoker” remains super heavy, and Sleep makes sure you’ll be nodding your head like a hippie at Woodstock. Plus, while the main structure is fairly repetitive, things are broken up nicely with guitar acrobatics and musical lulls in order to keep the listener interested. Don’t get me wrong, you’ll probably zone out from time to time, but that’s the point isn’t it? Every time you return to this behemoth you’ll remember why you’ve been listening to it for so damn long, and you’ll certainly be ready to continue on.

I definitely think this is an album to revisit or check out if you’ve never given a listen. Put it on in the car with your grandma; she’ll love it.

Saturday, September 5, 2009

Dispatches from Powerviolence: The Belly Joins Twitter



Go ahead... I'll wait while you collect your jaw up from the floor.

I know, I know, the Twatter is supposed to be the end of intelligent thought, and yea, yea, we're bending over to the digital social-networking/communication flavor-of-the-week... BUT... over much deliberation in the Belly camp, we've decided we have one thing to say to that... go fuck yourself, ya prick, ya.

This will be a good thing, you will learn to love this, you will thank us in time... Duh, gurl.

How could you not be totally jazzed to get bursts of news/info/pics/whatever-the-fuck-we-want all throughout your day? This is going to be splendid gnarfuck relationship. Trust us. We're professionals.

So! You can now find us on the Twitter here.

So don't forget! Follow the fuck out of us!

http://twitter.com/bellyfullofhell

Saturday, August 29, 2009

GnarVideo of the Week: Every Time I Die - "Wanderlust"



In the immortal words of Thin Lizzy... the boys are back in town.

The Buffalo Shitty Dudes Extraordinaire have just released their first video from their upcoming album, The New Junk Aesthetic... and upon watching it, I am perplexed. Earlier this year, all the articles about ETID's album in the works claimed that they were "going for heavy again, something between Last Night in Town and Hot Damn!, a sound they were unconsciously drifting from with the last two albums, blah bitty blah blah blah"... However! This song sounds strikingly and solidly still in the southern/hard rock/groove/core vibe they seemed to always be growing towards, not really changing the current formula... Although! I will keep a verrrrrry open mind and sit anxiously hoping and wishing that this new album WILL live up to the early descriptions... the descriptions that sent me from 6 to midnight in three seconds flat.

Anywho! The video lies just south of this mini paragraph, and decide for yourselves how you feel about it. Honestly, the film stock treatment to the video footage is pretty rad, I really can't complain... except for some cuts of Keith looking shocked and closing a door that look the same over and over (just wait. you'll see)... Oh, and an interesting sidenote, all the drawn animation portions of the video were done by ETID's own second guitarist, Jordan. He also did the cover art of the new album, which you can see at the end of the vid when Keith puts his hands on his eyes... watch for it! ... Now eat it, fatboy. Enjoy!

Every Time I Die - "Wanderlust"

Friday, August 21, 2009

Featured Live Show: Apocalypse Hoboken at Ronny's

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8.20.2009 - Ronny's - Chicago

If you’ve been following this site, you know that I love Apocalypse Hoboken. I’ve been into these dudes since I was in high school, and I don’t plan on getting tired of them anytime soon. So when I heard there was to be a “secret” show at a shitty venue like Ronny’s, I was super stoked. By “secret,” I mean they were added to a bill as “Plus Guest.” Everyone pretty much figured it out right away, especially because Todd posted it all over Spacebook. I figured this would make for a pretty large turnout, but surprisingly not as many people showed up as one would think. I suppose they are waiting for the upcoming shows instead. Why anyone would miss out on an opportunity to see the band play in a setting like Ronny’s is beyond me, but whatever.

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Let me tell you a bit about Ronny’s, in case you’ve never been. This place is essentially a dive bar with a garage attached to it. The shows take place in the garage. They seem to have put some drywall up to deaden the noise, so now it feels more like being in someone’s basement. Plus, the sound is super shitty. So basically, seeing a band here is the same as seeing one at your friend’s house party. I like that. It reminds me of all the basement shows I’ve seen or played at. I hate places like the Metro or Congress Theater (both in Chicago). I want the band on my level without bouncers or anything like that. I want them to be able to give and take abuse. I want to pay only $7.

While other bands did play before Hoboken, I’m not going to comment on them because I didn’t really pay attention. I know everyone’s thinking that people who only show up for one band and ignore the rest are assholes. I usually don’t do that. But this night I did, so get over it. I’m getting older, and being close to the bar is important.

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Of course AH’s set was fantastic. They played a decent amount of songs off of Now’s Not a Good Time, which is my favorite album. In general, they seemed to play a lot of stuff they don’t usually perform at shows. That works for me. Way to mix it up, guys. The same energy I expect from any Apocalypse show was present, and fortunately Todd kept all his clothes on this time around. I’m not sure how tight they sounded, but that’s because everything was all jumbled together. That isn’t their fault; it was just the room they were in. But really, it didn’t matter how well they sounded. The point is that it was an awesomely fun time, fueled by beer and music that makes my ass dance. Thank you, Apocalypse. I like it when my ass dances.

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*Sorry about the shitty pictures. We walked to Ronny’s from my apartment, and it looked like it was going to start pouring at any second so I brought my crappy camera instead of my good one. Deal with it.

Dispatches from Powerviolence: Welcome Back, Us

I’m not going to give the usual return of the Belly stuff where we promise to update more and all that, because, let’s be honest, that is kind of turning into a Boy Who Cried Wolf situation. But I am going to put up some new stuff for everyone to check out, and we’ll try to stay on top things a little better. This isn’t a promise; it’s just a statement.

We know you missed us, but we want you to know that we missed us, too.

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

So Sick It Hurts: Carnifex - "The Diseased and the Poisoned"

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It's been quite some time since we decided an album was gnarly enough to warrant a coveted SSIH spot, but I think this release truly deserves it. This album is seriously brutal.

When this album first starts playing, I'm assuming most will think it sounds like every other deathcore disc out there right now. I understand this feeling. That's what I thought, too. But then something starts to click, and the record begins to take off a bit. Things get a bit faster and the guitars start to shred like taco cheese. The growls intensify and the percussion sounds dead on. This is when the listener will probably start to get the idea that this album might be worth the time. It's pretty good. Solid. On par. Then comes the first breakdown.

Seriously, these breakdowns are fucking insane. At the first destructive chug, I was hooked. Carnifex essentially took the essence of real death metal and paired it up with beatdown/moshcore. So when that pit starts, I'm not talking some Norma Jean circle in the suburbs; I'm talking straight-up, terrorizing mayhem. This is the soundtrack to bloody faces and broken limbs.

Like I said, everything else is solid, as well. The band is technical enough to keep you interested and even has dueling screams/growls to mix everything up. When I first heard this, it sounded like a mix between All Shall Perish, The Acacia Strain, and old On Broken Wings with an extra pinch of death metal.

This record has been on constant repeat since I got it. Check it out, but make sure you are ready to rage beforehand.

Check out a live vid of the song "In Coalesce with Filth and Faith":

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Old Timers: Dillinger Four - "Midwestern Songs of the Americas"

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I heart Dillinger Four. They are one of those bands you can always turn to when you simply want to break it down, especially while drunk. In 1998 they released what I personally believe is their best album. This album, of course, was “Midwestern Songs of the Americas,” and I’m going to tell you why I like it so much, gosh dangit.

This record had everything you could ever want. It was full of energy, yet remained catchy enough to have you pumping your fist to every track. Plus, D4 songs were made for sing-alongs. Or yell-alongs, depending on you look at it. While most of the other D4 albums are pretty good, there was something about this one that just sucked you in. Somehow, most of the songs seemed familiar, even if you had just heard it for the first time. Although, I guess a lot of punk rock could fall into that category, seeing as it is pretty formulaic. But I’m sticking with my statement. Plus, listening to this album would put you in a good mood faster than sucking down a bottle of cough syrup. Think of one bad time you had while listening to this album. You can’t. Unless you count throwing up on that cute girl you were interested in the first time you threw back a few brews in your friend’s garage while his parents were out of town trying to rekindle the love they never had in the first place. But you were having fun before the vomit assault, so I don’t know how much I want to count on that example.

What else do you want me to say? This was straight up guitar-driven punk rock. It was the stuff made for skate videos or for driving around with no point whatsoever. We all listened to Dillinger Four when we were younger. Every punk rocker was into them at some point. Knowing their songs was a prerequisite for punkness. So just play this thing and take a trip back to the time when your parents put a roof over your head, fed you, and your biggest responsibility was figuring out who was going to buy you beer each weekend. Ah, yes, the good old days.

Here's D4 playing "Super Powers Enable Me to Blend in with Machinery." It's a shitty video, but you would be surprised at how hard it is to find a decent video of these dudes.

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

How 'bout an Interview, Dummy: Trap Them



Your own valiant Spleen Latifa tagged along with the lovable scamps at Metal Injection to help out with their coverage of the New England Metal and Hardcore Festival way out in Worcester, Mass. Though we were barred from shooting any live footage inside the festival (which really blew massively hard cuz Trap Them and Municipal Waste's sets were damn near incredible), we managed to corral together close to about 20+ interviews with some of the bands on the bill. Below you will find one such encounter between myself and two parts of the wall of chaotic sound that is the mighty Trap Them. Enjoy the vid, and head over to Metal Injection for more of them...

Saturday, April 4, 2009

Dispatches from Powerviolence: Screeching Weasel to Reform and Play Shows



In honor of this incredible news sent down from the heavens, I'm going to spare you the clever witty wordiness and let the man, the myth, and the legend, Ben Weasel tell you for himself... [editor's note: I am sooo getting the Weasel logo tattooed on my body... take THAT, uptight square society! ... and my mom.]

"I really want to give you the lowdown on the SW re-formation but there's honestly not a lot to say. Legal issues prevented me from doing my own band on my own terms over the past couple of years but thankfully those problems are all resolved now. The kind of stuff happens sometimes. I won't deny that those problems - which were really just the culmination of many years of a lot of other b.s. - left a foul taste in my mouth about SW.

But now that all the headaches are behind me I'm feeling great about it. I'm finally running my own band again and I'm really happy and excited to be back at it. I've got a killer line-up comprised of myself, Danny Vapid, Simon Lamb (the Ritalins), Justin Perkins (Yesterday's Kids) and Adam Cargin (Blueheels) (he's also the new Riverdales drummer) and we've got a great set list. And I'm thrilled to be playing in Texas - places like Houston and Austin were always great for Screeching Weasel in our touring days. We are only playing two other shows in 2009 (in the fall - they'll be announced next month) so we'll hope to see you at one of them"

.... How bout two live vids to wet your whistle?

"Slogans" - (live in Milwaukee)


"Supermarket Fantasy" - (live in some house, I'll put money on 'somewhere in the Chicagoland area')

Important Moments in Powerviolence: Ben and Greg Play with NIN Live



I'm not going to debate the validity of posting about Nine Inch Nails here, cuz a) yes, it's true, I'm not a giant fan, but b) I respect them and their contribution to rock and/or roll. In other words, if I was riding in a car, say in Chicago, with a tiny little blonde girl who loves industrial or an eccentric grad school student jazz session-drummer dude, and one of them put it on, I wouldn't start vomiting all over the interior and clawing viciously at my ear canals. However, I also wouldn't be walking around jamming them in my diePod either... But Dillinger on the other hand, I would give my right eye to. And not only cuz I think I would completely gnarsick with an eye-patch.

So in saying that, I present you with a once-in-a-lifetime coupling onstage at an Australian rock festival. It's no secret that Ben of DEP loves the shit out of Trent of NIN, from his own experimental electronic creations, to covering "Wish" on their Plagiarism EP, and covering it frequently live. But the coincidental shared bill in Australia lead to an opportunity for Trent to pull Greg and Ben onstage to play/sing along with the rest of NIN on "Wish." ... Best fucking part of the whole video? It was shot on what looks to be the sexiest video camera I have ever seen... the Canon 5d Mark II... Enjoy:

Thursday, April 2, 2009

Review Your Face Off: Mastodon - "Crack the Skye"

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When I got my hands on the new Mastodon, I was mega stoked. Who wouldn’t be? After seeing some of the reviews, I was getting myself ready to take in one of the best releases in a long time. Everyone was shitting themselves over this record. Well, friends, I am sorry to report that this album did not live up to my expectations. I know a million people out there are all going nuts right now saying that I don’t know something good when I hear it, but let me explain.

To begin, I need to point out that this album is a lot different than the albums of the past. Most of the edge from previous releases has been dropped in favor of what most people will likely call a more “focused approach.” Then again, remember how when Metallica started to suck, people said they were becoming more focused? I’m not saying that Mastodon is on its way to the world of suckdom, but I am saying that focus doesn’t always make for a better result. The ambition is certainly present on this album, and I give them all the credit in the world for that, but I am just left wanting more. On this release the band is purely progressive metal. The harsh vocals are completely gone, and there are obvious Pink Floyd influences present, among other heavy hitters in the progressive rock and progressive metal worlds. It’s also a lot catchier than anything they have done before. That can be good or bad, depending on how you want to look at it.

There is nothing wrong with Mastodon wanting to pursue an even more progressive sound than before. They do a good job of it. However, they do not do the best job of it. While all the major publications are going to be hailing this as one of the most important metal albums in some time, we need to remember that Mastodon is not an underground band anymore, and many of these magazines aren’t aware of what lesser known bands are doing. So to them, this is mind-blowing, but to a lot of people immersed in this type of music, other bands have already done much better and will continue to. While this record is an enjoyable listen, it doesn’t really hold up to an ISIS album for example. Perhaps an even better comparison would be to Between the Buried and Me’s “Colors,” which was fairly astounding in its progressiveness, but still managed to keep a huge amount of heaviness.

So while I was hoping I could place “Crack the Skye” into the “So Sick It Hurts” category, I simply can’t. It is by most standards a very good album, but it just lacked the punch I was hoping for.


Here is the video from "Divinations." You need to wait through some crap at the beginning. Another point, notice how this is shown on some TV Guide channel. What's the deal guys?

Dispatches from Powerviolence: Napalm Death, Toxic Holocaust, and Trap Them Tour

Looks like Napalm Death, Kataklysm, Toxic Holocaust, Trap Them and Coliseum are going on tour together. If you are in the mood to get your face slayed off, then I would make note of when this tour hits a town near you. Righteous!

04/10: Allentown, PA @ Crocodile Rock
04/11: New York City, NY @ Gramercy Theater
04/12: Springfield, VA @ Jaxx
04/13: Cincinnatti, OH @ Madhatter
04/14: Detroit, MI @ Majestic Theatre
04/15: Sudbury, ON @ Serbian Center
04/17: Worcester, MA @ New England Metal And Hardcore Festival
04/18: Syracuse, NY @ Lost Horizon
04/19: Sayreville, NJ @ Starland Ballroom
04/20: Virginia Beach, VA @ Peppermint Beach Club
04/21: Wilmington, NC @ Soapbox Laundrolounge
04/22: Spartanburg, SC @ Ground Zero
04/23: Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade
04/24: Raleigh, NC @ Volume 11
04/26: Austin, TX @ Emos
04/27: Houston, TX @ Meridian
04/28: San Antonio, TX @ White Rabbit
04/29: Fort Worth, TX @ Ridglea Theatre
04/30: Albuquerque, NM @ Sunshine Theatre
05/01: Phoenix, AZ @ Clubhouse
05/02: San Diego, CA @ SOMA
05/03: Los Angeles, CA @ Key Club
05/04: San Francisco, CA @ Grand Ballroom
05/05: Portland, OR @ Hawthorne Theater
05/06: Seattle, WA @ Studio 7
05/08: Colorado Springs, CO @ Black Sheep
05/09: Denver, CO @ Marquis Theatre
05/10: Lubbock, TX @ Tequila Jungle
05/11: Tulsa, OK @ Marquee
05/12: St Louis, MO @ Fubar
05/13: Chicago, IL @ House Of Blues
05/14: Cleveland, OH @ Peabodys
05/16: Ottawa, ON @ Babylon
05/17: Montreal, QC @ Fourfounes
05/18: Quebec City, QC @ Imperial

Coliseum also has some dates without the other bands, so you might want to check those out as well. For more info check Here.

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Dispatches from Powerviolence: Original Misfits Reunite w/ New Album and Tour in Mind!

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Get ready to crap yourselves, Bellions! It was announced a few days ago that the original members of The Misfits are working on a new studio album and planning a tour to support it sometime in late summer. By original lineup, I mean those present on Static Age. That makes Danzig, Jerry Only, Mr. Jim, and Franche Coma. Weirder yet is the fact that Glenn brought up the idea and set everything up.

Supposedly the album is almost done, and the band was trying to hide the fact that it was in the process of being recorded. Danzig has stated that the new record will be called “Wicked Nights,” which is a super lame name, but whatever. He also said that the tour with be with The Damned and HorrorPops. Think what you want about that.

That's all I know at this point. But sweet!

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Dispatches from Powerviolence: Converge Reveal Two New Songs Live



So fuckin... I got a camera into the Converge show this past friday... and fuckin... I totally filmed Converge's entiiiiiire set... and fuckin... The entire show was fuckin sick and shit... but fuckin... The totally coolest part of the fuckin night was when Converge played to two new songs in the middle of their fuckin set!!!

More true than funny.

But seriously... Converge/Coliseum/Genghis Tron/Ceremony/Rise & Fall/Pulling Teeth... Fucking righteous. Hands down will probably be this year's best non-festival concert lineup. Anywho, I put up the videos of the two new tracks from Bannon and Co. below, hosted by our good buds over at Metal Injection. This week I will be editing up and rendering out Converge's entire punishingly wonderful set, along with three Coliseum songs, and tossing them to Metal Injection to post up to their site. So be checking there throughout the week for more. As of right now, you can go check out the live vids for "Plagues" and "No Heroes".

Oh, also Cap'n Bannon said live that "these songs don't have names, so fuckin' make 'em up and put 'em on the internet, do whatever you want" ... So I did... And I liked it.

Song #1 - "Squanto on Thundercrack - Part IV (El Requiem Virtuoso)"


Song #2 - "Them Assholes Don't Know Shit About Dick!"


Photo credit - Justina Villanueva

Dispatches from Powerviolence: Coalesce to Release New LP



In 2007, I remember getting wind of the mighty Coalesce getting off their lazy asses and reuniting and then being sooo hella pissed when I realized I would never be in the same city when they were, meaning that I would be missing any and all chances to see a band that I've never had luck catching... Obviously I was MEGA pissed. Pissed enough that I used the word "hella" up there... I honestly thought this was a cruel joke, dangling my potential last chance in front of me by having the Coalesce fellers swing by the NYC area the exact same weekend I was home in Chicago... Pig Destroyer likes to pull that same bullshit repeatedly.

BUT a juicy little detail just came down the pipe, and it's gotten me all sorts of excited in the swimsuit area again. I just got word that Coalesce has finished wrapping up their new album of all new material (their first new full-length in a fucking decade) and has the release date all set for a Relapse Records roll-out... (fuck yea, alliteration!) ... and not only that, but they also set up a European tour this summer to support the June record release. The album is titled Ox and will hit the places wherever people legally buy music these days on June 9th.

In the meantime, enjoy "You Can't Kill Us All" live from their 2007 Detroit reunion:

Monday, March 30, 2009

Review Your Face Off: Cannabis Corpse - "Tube of the Resinated"

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So what happens when you really love death metal and also really love the potweed? Well, you could just sit around getting high in your parents’ basement, or you could start a sweet band. Cannabis Corpse decided to do the latter, and I can just imagine the session that inspired the name.

Seeing as CC includes members of Municipal Waste, they already had an idea of how to get off their ripped asses and start making music. I bet a lot of pizza and snacks were involved in the process. But no matter what got them moving, the result is pretty great. I’m not arguing for or against the use of the happy plant, but no matter how you look at it, death metal songs with titles like “Mummified in Bong Water” and “Addicted to Hash in a Tin” are going to put a smile on your face.

More important than the song titles, of course, is the music, and this shit is pretty rad. Each song on the album had me tapping my foot. The band also has a lot of talent, stoned or not, so the record doesn’t get boring or repetitive. And the overall humor of what’s going on adds a nice spice. You know, kind of the way syrup adds to that tical blunt you’ve been saving.

While this is far from the greatest metal album I have ever heard, it is an enjoyable listen. I would certainly recommend it. Plus, I bet if you brought this over to your Bonnaroo-loving, corduroy-wearing, scooter-riding friend’s place, he’d totally respect you more. Actually, probably not, fucking hippie.



Here's CC tearing it up live with "Sentenced to Burn One" from the album:

Dispatches from Powerviolence: 1912 Records Brings the Rock (Cheap!)

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Since we aren’t Wall Street CEO’s getting huge bonuses on the government’s money, most of us are pretty broke right now. But just because the economy sucks doesn’t mean we can’t continue to rock. Our buddies at 1912 Records have put together some pretty gnarly deals to help out all those who want to rage economically.

The best way to go would be the $65 “Triumvirate of RockNRoll” package. Ok, so at first you are thinking 65 bucks is still a little steep. Fear not, friends. You are getting a ton of shit from three bands. Count ‘em, three. Which bands? How about The American Black Lung, Long Live the Smoking Gun, and Blues. Plus, you get some label stuff. Now I have your attention, don’t I? Included are albums, shirts, sweatshirts, pint glasses, beer cozies, posters, buttons, etc. Now $65 is lookin’ pretty cheap, ain’t it?

Don’t be a fool. Check this out, ya knuckleheads.


Just look at all that gnarliness you'll be getting!


You can order and get a full list of everything included here:
1912records.com
or
1912records.bigcartel.com

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Dispatches from Powerviolence: Fox from See You Next Tuesday Needs Your Help



Alright, it's been a while since we've seen you last, and I apologize from the deep, dark bottom of my cavernous soul. Life got wicked, shits needed to be taken care of... Except the damn apology!

Anywho, we're calling on you loyal Bellions to do some service for a good man... See You Next Tuesday singer Chris Fox requires some surgery, but like most of the ladies and gentlemen that make the music we so much enjoy, he's a little strapped for cash and is unable to afford the operation. Here's the word from the horse's mouth, so find it in your empty chests where a heart is supposed to rest to spare a little change if you can. The Belly has already fronted 20 bucks for the cause, now do your part. Take it away, Fox:

"Let me explain the story of what has been goin' on. The first day we arrived to Europe on this past tour, I noticed my right armpit was a little sore. I felt around and I noticed a hard lump about the size of a marble. Over time it kept getting more painful and larger. I saw a couple doctors while in Europe, and both of them wanted to cut whatever it is out on the spot, but, I couldn't do that because I was on tour and I would have been stranded in some foreign country.

"So, as soon as we landed I went to my family doctor here in Michigan. And he said the same thing, it needs to get cut out. Nobody seems to be sure what it is, the only thing they know it is not is a lymph node because it is too big. This thing is about the size of a golf ball now, so on the outside it looks about the size of an orange. It is very painful. It seems to be pinching off nerves or something because I get shooting pains across my chest and down my arm. Some days I can't even lift my arm up. And for some reason the back of my arm is always numb now. And it fucking sucks.

"Here is my problem. I tour with the band almost 80% of my time, therefore, I don't have a 'real job' to collect health insurance. So I'm pretty much fucked. I do have a job, I'm a tattoo artist, but it's pretty dead at the shop right now so I'm not making much. Not nearly enough to pay for this.

"So I'm on my hands and knees begging for help. I can't refuse this operation, it hurts so fucking bad that I can't stand it anymore. I've lived with this thing for almost two months now. I hate doing this shit because I feel so worthless, and I know times are tough everywhere for most everyone, but I have to ask for help from you guys. It is my last option at this point. I've set up a donation thing through Paypal, but of course the button isnt working. Please just go to Paypal.com and you can just send any amount to my email address, fabrfox@gmail.com from your account. If someone could donate a dollar or a quarter or anything I would be fucking stoked. It would be that much more than I have now. I would love you guys more than I do now and do whatever I can to make it up to you. If you can, please help me."

... How can you say no to a face like this:

Monday, February 16, 2009

GnarVideo of the Week: HeWhoCorrupts - "Master of Profits"



I'm seriously beginning to smell a theme running rampant through this column of ours... and one could assume that this theme in question is probably that of this that probably is of what we assume would and could only be "brutal fucking comedy". Sorry folks. It appears we love to rage just as much as we love to slip into a comfy pair of gigglepants (and spaghetti-writing for comedic effect, apparently). So we admit it, we like to snicker a bit and maybe let loose a healthy guffaw while relishing in the violence and aggression of the shitshow that is our tastes.

So regardless, we present yet another exercise in the delicious comedy/brutality cocktail we do so much enjoy. This week's installment comes from the Homeland ("Chicago" for the uninitiated) by way of the sinister, evil, nudity and piccolo snare-friendly, money-hungry corporation parading themselves as a chaotic hardcore group called HeWhoCorrupts. As audience members, we get to take a front row seat to quite possibly the most amazing 9-5 cubicle world ever recorded on video... If only my workday could be so entertaining... I don't want to give anything away, for it needs to be seen to be believed, but I shall leave you with the drabbest (yet most poignant) summary of what your about to watch... from one of the corporations own PR agents: "Under pressure from CEO Tommy Camaro, the boys from Hewhocorrupts take to the office and discover an ingenious way of making money." Enjoy... Cuz I've got two words for you, and they aren't Happy Birthday.

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Review Your Face Off: Rumpelstiltskin Grinder - "Living for Death, Destroying the Rest"

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The name of this band sucks. I mean, it seriously sucks. It's probably one of the lamest names I have ever heard. It would be one thing if you could tell the name was a joke, like Cannabis Corpse for example, but I don't think that's the case for these guys. I think they just have a shitty name.

Fortunately, even though the band name may be completely stupid, the music is pretty good. There aren't a lot of bands coming out with straight-up thrash albums anymore, but RSG thinks that shouldn't be the case. Because of this, they drop Living for Death, Destroying the Rest on us, and I thank them for it.

While this isn't the greatest record I have ever heard, it kept me thoroughly interested from beginning to end. It's got the sweet speed of thrash, but also manages to keep some melody. And of course the riffage is gnarlier than being in middle school and seeing your best friend's older sister having a naked pillow fight with her hot buddies. Those were the days...

I would say this album could actually bring some interest back to a genre of metal that is usually only looked upon for nostalgia. While your mind will always immediately flash to the Big Four when thrash is mentioned, I think RSG manages to update the style with a bit more technicality and ingenuity than a Megadeth album. Check it out!

Here's some ridiculous video I found by someone who thought it would be a good idea to put RSG's "Darkness Never Ending" over Braveheart clips. Whatever.

Old Timers: Immortal - "Pure Holocaust"

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Black metal is fucking awesome. Sure, it might need to be absorbed with a good sense of humor, seeing as it is so over-the-top, but then again, a lot of shit is over-the-top and still amazing. We all know the whole deal with what constitutes black metal: worshiping Satan, church burnings, face paint, goofy black outfits with spikes all over them, skulls on stakes and goat/pig sacrifices at shows, etc, but did you know one of the bands to help get all that started was Immortal? I bet you didn't. To be completely honest, I bet a lot of you don't even know who the fuck Immortal is. This is your wake-up call.

Before bands like Dimmu Borgir brought black metal to a more general audience, there were a ton of other bands lurking around Scandinavian countries laying the groundwork for this music. Bands like the Darkthrone, Emperor, and the murder-loving Mayhem were among the first to create the sound we would consider black metal today. And I know a bunch of you are going to be like, "Hey man, actually bands like Celtic Frost were first-wave, blah blah blah," but I'm talking about the solidified sound, not glorified thrash metal. Got it? Good. Let's move on.

Well, Immortal was one of those bands involved in the second-wave sound; the one we think of today. And they were killer. With Pure Holocaust, they also managed to create a genre-defining album. And let's get something straight: Although many black metal bands did infuse themes of National Socialism into records for shock value, much like the Sex Pistols, this album mostly contains themes about landscapes in Norway and the demise of the human race; it's not a Skrewdriver album. So don't get on my case about Neo-Nazi propaganda.

So what makes this album so great? Well, let me tell you! It's got everything one could possibly love about black metal. It has the progressions and speed, along with the ghoulish vocals. The imagery is dark and bleak, and we all love dark and bleak. Plus, just look at the cover! It has to be good! I remember trying to dress like Immortal in grade school, but my mom wasn't having it. Part of that last statement was a lie, but which part? That I tried to dress like Immortal, or that my mom wouldn't let me? You may never know.

But seriously, listen to this album. If you have never heard real black metal, this is a good place to start. It gives you everything you want. It's sexy in a demonic kind of way. It's also just plain terrific.

Friday, February 6, 2009

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

What up, fools? That's all I got. To the Rotation!

The Hellion:
01. GZA/Genius - "Liquid Swords"
02. All Shall Perish - "The Price of Existence"
03. Nas - "Illmatic"
04. Tim Hecker - "Harmony in Ultraviolet"
05. The Assistant - "In the Year of the Dawg"
06. The Clash - "London Calling"
07. Flowers from the Man Who Shot Your Cousin - "Hapless"
08. Mogwai - "Mr. Beast"
09. Beastie Boys - "Paul's Boutique"
10. Unleashed - "Hammer Battalion"

Spleen Latifa (FAIL.)
01. Graf Orlock - "Destination Time: Tomorrow"
02. I Farm - "So My Kids Won't Have To"
03. Choking Victim - "Squatta's Paradise"
04. This Bike Is a Pipe Bomb - "Three Way Tie for a Fifth"
05. Combatwoundedveteran - "I Know A Girl Who Develops Crime Scene Photos"
06. Pink Razors - "Waiting to Wash Up"
07. Ghostlimb - "Ghostlimb"
08. Slayer - "Undisputed Attitude"
09. Sebadoh - "Harmacy"
10. Assfactor 4 - "Sports LP"

Friday, January 30, 2009

Heavy Rotation: Fellas of the Belly (Jan. 30)

Alrighty fuckrazors, we gave you a week off of the Rotation that is Heavy so you could really let that best of '08 post sink in as deep as possible... or we just forgot to do it... either way, eat it.

Regardless, some things have changed in the world since our last communiqué in this column... Obama-mania (Obamania? Obamapalooza?) swept over us for about 2.36 seconds, then we were back to being over it. Even more over it than we were before he even took the oath. Don't get us wrong, we voted for the man, but we're entirely back to being "meh" and over it... And that's why we've obviously decided to move our focus to 2012! Who really gives a shit about the next four years anyway? It's just gonna be politics as usual... So anyway, we here at the Belly fully endorse and put our wholehearted trust in the elusive Kroll currently tossing his hat in the ring for our prestigious 45th president. So please join us in our fight and support the right man for the job... visit his splendiferous site here: Vote Kroll!

And on to what you're really here for...

Spleen Latifa (curled up with some old faves this week):
01. Curlupanddie - "Unfortunately We're Not Robots"
02. Jawbreaker - "Dear You"
03. Minor Threat - "Complete Discography"
04. Pig Destroyer - "Prowler in the Yard"
05. Botch - "An Anthology of Dead Ends"
06. Jon Cougar Concentration Camp - "Jon Cougar Concentration Camp"
07. The Queers - "Love Songs for the Retarded"
08. Deadguy - "Fixation on a Coworker"
09. Jerry's Kids - "Is This My World"
10. Dillinger Escape Plan - "Under The Running Board - Reissue & Bonus"

The Hellion:
01. This Day Forward- "The Transient Effects of Light on Water"
02. Carpathian Forest- "Defending the Throne of Evil"
03. 1349- "Hellfire"
04. Terminally, Your Aborted Ghost- "Inanimately Soundless"
05. Two Dead Sluts, One Good Fuck- "The Pinkest Demo"
06. Iron Cross- "Crucified for Our Sins"
07. Yaphet Kotto- "Syncopated Synthetic Laments for Love"
08. Xiu Xiu- "Fabulous Muscles"
09. Screeching Weasel- "Boogadaboogadaboogada"
10. Elliott- "If They Do"

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Review Your Face Off: SOS- "Adult Situations"



First, I would like to apologize for the lack of the usual album cover photo. This album is not released as of yet, and all I had was a promo copy. In case you really want to know what that promo copy looked like, it was all black and had "SOS" and "Adult Situations" printed on it. I'm not sure what the font was. I apologize for that. I know there is one person out there who really wants to know. Let me just say they didn't use Comic Sans, which was a good choice.

Alright, Bellions, let's move onto the album. I have to say straight off that I was a bit surprised at what these NYC boys sounded like after taking a gander at the press release. With the references to hardcore and punk dropped into the text, I was expecting something with a decent amount of edge. This edge, however, is not present. This album seems to be more like a hair metal meets alternative rock hybrid. While there were some slight allusions to thrash and even horror punk, the overall feel is much tamer.

I guess in the big scheme of things I would have to say I wouldn't listen to this album merely for my enjoyment. I get where they are going with it, I guess. You can tell the band is trying to create music to mimic a rock n' roll lifestyle, but it just doesn't have enough power to really get you into much of a wild mood. While the musicians are all decent, it's just not my style of music. Plus, I think the lyrics need work. They are very standard, like most lyrics that are forced into rhyme schemes. I will be happy the day rock bands finally realize that rhyming is stupid, and one can say a lot more without trying to fit into the standards of pop music.

So there you have it. The album isn't terrible, but it's also not good. If you really like auto-wah, however, you'll find it used a lot on this record. Now THAT'S info you can use to make a decision!

Check these guys out and decide for yourself at the band's website or their Myspace

Friday, January 23, 2009

GnarVideo of the Week: The Acacia Strain - "Skynet"



ALL HAIL HUMOR IN AGGRESSIVE MUSIC... There, I said it... And it shouldn't be taken lightly... As you know, we here at the Belly are no strangers to mixing the funny with the brutality in such a way that after reading a couple posts, you faithful Bellions get treated to a delightful tingling feeling in your swimsuit area and the urge to continue on with your day suddenly able to ignore your complete contempt for the world around you which usually taunts you with the idea of taking the big dirtnap after a siesta with your head in the oven... It's cuz we're here for you! ... So naturally, we'd be drawn to like-minded individuals that see the power and splendidness in blending hilarity with the pummeling.

So in saying that, The Acacia Strain are these kinds of individuals... case in point, their new video for "Skynet" off of their latest record, Continent. Sidenote, not only does it bring the funny, TAS set out to accomplish a task that up until now was only left up to African American stand-up comedians... and what is that? ... well... damning the white population into the goofy nerdy unhip painfully-square stereotype that we are, of course. If I lost you with that last line, confused as to how a group of burly inked sledgehammer-hardcore merchants could accomplish such a feat, just click the play button and bask in the glory... YES WE CAN!

SKYNET

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Get the Fuck Back Together, Idiots: For Science



For fuck's sake, seriously... I was just thinking about this the other day... Apparently there seems to be some sort of pandemic going around killing off all the true pure amazing pop-punk bands that were my best kept secrets. (And I seriously hope I don't need to instruct you bearfight readers about the definition of good pop-punk... Descendents/Ramones/Screeching Weasel/The Queers = correct and brilliant... everything that's made it onto the radio or TV parading itself as pop-punk = epic fail). So as I was saying, they seem to be dropping like flies at a fly dropping competition where flies are dropped nowadays... from the giant heartbreak of the disbanding of The Ergs! to the news I just received of The Steinways calling it quits, whom of which I only just super recently got my hands on some of their jazz. Regardless, after listening to For Science's Revenge for Hire for the umpteenth hundreth time yesterday, I decided they needed to be sodomized by one of our finger-wagging razorfuck columns.

First off, For Science ultimately needs to go down in history for having the most incredibly powerviolence reason for breaking up... coming straight from the horse's mouth: "This probably sounds too ridiculous to be true, but our singer and my friend John Slover had an acid freakout which led him to pack up his stuff and move to New Orleans on a complete whim without telling anyone, then continue on to Hawaii. I doubt we'll be able to play any kind of last show due to the circumstances, at least not anytime soon, and I know that kinda sucks." WTF. Beautiful. Package that shit up and sell it to me, cuz I'm buying two... However it seems this story has tweaked a tiny bit... the last show part, not the Timothy Leary part... since apparently a "farewell" show has been posted on their myspace, slated for Hoboken, New Jersey, and saying Slover will be in attendance, but from what I can gather, will not be singing.

Anywho, I don't feel like wasting my breath instructing you just why these guys were special to me... But it might have been that they somehow managed to write a barnburner buzzsaw pop-punk love letter to Kirsten Dunst clocking in at just under a minute long that I actually really liked... but it might have had a lot to do with the fact I thought Slover was saying "kissing dust" or "kissing a ghost" the whole time, until I looked up lyrics, confused as to what Spider-man had to do with dust and/or ghost kissing... Man, I feel like a toolbag. So regardless, pick up Revenge for Hire then get the other LP and their EP, cross those knobby little meat hooks, and hope acid freakouts have a tendency to wear off...

For Science - "Leeloo" (live @ the Insubordination Fest 2007)

Dispatches from Powerviolence: Review Considerations

The Spleen and I realized recently that we never gave a good way for people to send us albums for review purposes. So, if you want us to take a look at your shit and toss a review up here on the Belly, then send us an email at bellyfullofhell2@yahoo.com. We will give you all the info you need after that.

As a little disclaimer: We are not into kissing the asses of bands or labels. We will tell it like it is. If your album is great, then we'll let everyone know that they should check it out. If your album sucks, then we will let the world know that it should be avoided at all costs. If you album is mediocre, then the population will be warned. So hopefully your band kicks ass!

Sunday, January 11, 2009

Heavy Rotation: Best of 2008

2008 had some pretty decent releases, and while I don't think there were as many killer albums dropped as in some of the years past, I'm not going to complain. Since we here at the Belly are so nice and always looking out for our bearfight readers, we've decided to give you a top ten list of the best records released last year. Obviously it becomes your duty to go and get these.

The Hellion (in no particular order):
01. Whitechapel - "This is Exile"
02. Hej Ninja - "Hej Ninja"
03. See You Next Tuesday - "Intervals"
04. Austin Lucas - "Putting the Hammer Down"
05. Mogwai - "The Hawk is Howling"
06. Drive-By Truckers - "Brighter than Creation's Dark"
07. Cursed - "III: The Architects of Troubled Sleep"
08. Hot Water Music - "Till the Wheels Fall Off"
09. Fuck Buttons - "Street Horrrsing"
10. Origin - "Antithesis"

*Spleen Editor's Note: I was having a real hard time discerning between the best records of the year and just the ones i dug the shit outta the most of the year... so regardless, here's a mix of my 14 (sorry! fuck you.) favorite albums of the year and best albums of the year. If you don't like it... Tough... You're probably a dicktard anyway.

Spleen Latifa (in no particular order):
01. Lords - "Fuck All Y'all Motherfuckers"
02. Young Widows - "Old Wounds"
03. Torche - "Meanderthal"
04. Trap Them - "Seizures in Barren Praise"
05. Off With Their Heads - "From the Bottom"
06. The Ergs! - "Hindsight Is 20/20, My Friend"
07. Cursed - "III: The Architects of Troubled Sleep"
08. The Banner - "Frailty"
09. Disfear - "Live The Storm"
10. See You Next Tuesday - "Intervals"

...Honorable Mention:
11. Ceremony - "Still Nothing Moves You"
12. Virgins - "Miscarriage"
13. Romans - "All Those Wrists"
14. Suicide Note - "Empty Rooms"

...Albums I really wished were gonna be the albums of the year, but I still dunno how I feel bout 'em:
01. Dillinger Four - "CIVILWAR"
02. The Bronx - "The Bronx (III)"

Friday, January 9, 2009

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

What the hell? ... 21,000 hits? ... That's just nutty.

01. Glass and Ashes - "Glass and Ashes"
02. Last Lights - "Self-Titled EP"
03. Examination of the... - "We Are the Architects of Desire"
04. My America Is Watching Tigers Die - "Stone Age"
05. Tongues - "Tongues"
06. Limp Wrist - "Discography"
07. Ultra Dolphins - "Mar"
08. Sweet Cobra - "Forever"
09. Total Fucking Destruction - "Peace, Love, and Total Fucking Destruction"
10. Phoenix Bodies - "Raise the Bullshit Flag"

The Hellion:
01. On Broken Wings - "It's All a Long Goodbye"
02. Swing Kids - "Discography"
03. Caspian - "The Four Trees"
04. Havergal - "Elettricita"
05. Origin - "Antithesis"
06. 7000 Dying Rats - "Season in Hell"
07. Diskreet - "Infernal Rise"
08. Avail - "Dixie"
09. Rival Schools - "United by Fate"
10. xBishopx - "Suicide Party"

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Dispatches from Powerviolence: Bomb the Music Industry! Reveal Details of New Album



Straight from the horse's mouth, sharkfucks... Today in a post on their die*Space page, Jeff clued us all in to some juicy details about the upcoming BTMI record that is apparently less than a month away. Scrambled, as usual, will be available for free download (donations don't give you AIDS, no matter what you heard, so try and be a little giving) on the Quote Unquote Records site, and like their last release, hard copies in CD and LP formats will be released on that forgotten gem, Asian Man Records.

Also, if you're into this kind of thing, you can go check out a track off Scrambled that's on the Quote Unquote 2009 sampler right here. But regardless, Jeff swears it's done and will be posted at the end of the month, and also gave a peak at the album art too, which you can use your peepers on below. Also, he says "It will contain a thirty-four page fanzine featuring ex-members of Latterman. We've met a lot of amazing people through music and a whole mess of them are kickin' mad knowledge about the shit they've learned over the years. From how to change your oil to how to make a decent salsa when it's not tomato season, to even more things printed by people who aren't in Mustard Plug. I'm pretty damn excited about it. So excited that I've been staring at my computer for twenty hours editing it." Sounds pretty sick to me... but as usual, I guess only time will fuck.

Monday, January 5, 2009

Old Timers: Swing Kids - "Discography"

Photobucket

What can really be said about Swing Kids? They were insanely influential to a shitload of bands that rock/rocked like no other. Like Orchid? Like Plot to Blow Up the Eiffel Tower? Where do you think they got their sound from? Orchid just sped it up and shortened it, and PBUET just added jazz and little bit of Drive Like Jehu. And even back then, Swing Kids had a song with jazz in it. "Disease," anyone? By the way, right when the guitar kicks in, there is a little part that was blatantly ripped off by another band, but I can't remember who it was for the life of me. I was thinking Avenging Disco Godfathers of Soul, but I can't find it, so I might be wrong. If you know, let me know. I'm positive it's an emo-violence/screamo band. At any rate, the point is that Swing Kids showed a bunch of people the way.

So what could be better than a discography? I mean, let's be honest, the band existed for merely a second and barely put anything out so this collection is about the same length as an LP, but it's still worth getting. Why? you ask. Because even if you don't care about the history of emo, emo-violence, screamo, or emotional hardcore, this band was fucking rad. They laid the path for the spoken/screamed vocals picked up by so many bands. They also set up a song structure that was copied by so many bands after them. Pretty much any band ever to release something on Level-Plane, Witching Hour, Ebullition, or the old Magic Bullet listened to these guys. Swing Kids pervades all their sounds. So if you like that shit, which you should, then why wouldn't you like these fellas?

Don't be a doofus. Pick up some Swing Kids. You'll also sound cool in first-wave emo circles.

(Disclaimer before I get a ton of emails/comments: First-wave emo is not the shit on MTV today. It was what screamo and emo-violence were based off of. Some call it emotional hardcore to make sure douche bags don't accuse them of listening to Dashboard. Look it up if you don't believe me. Or just check out the video of them playing "Warsaw" live below, and tell me if it sounds like fucking Jimmy Eat World.)

Sunday, January 4, 2009

GnarVideo of the Week: Don the Reader - "Reader"



Silhouetted violence!!

Honestly, who doesn't love mile-a-minute cuts, harsh lighting, and silhouetted band members going mach 5 apeshit on their instruments? ... Nobody. Except maybe Jeff. But we all know Jeff's a cunt. ( 'Jeff' will play the role of the all-encompassing character in all our lives who just can't help being a total dicktard... I know we all have at least one). Regardless, feast on some awesomeness, and give Don the Reader a second spin. I know I'm about to right this second... cuz somehow their album that came out a couple months ago just slipped through the cracks due to the volume of shit coming into my hands. But on quick perusal right now, I wish it hadn't... Enjoy.