Found You, Asshole: The American Black Lung

Damn it, I am so happy to share this one with ya, kids... almost as happy as I am that I stumbled upon them a little while back. Actually, it was during a gnarconvo between the Hellion and I, when he expressed that he hasn't heard their jazz before, that i felt prompted to toss these fellas up here post haste.

So, where to begin? This ferocious Tucson act is still a little wet behind the ears, just being about four years old... but you seriously would not guess that by their sound, or even their style of sound for that matter. I say that cuz these cats are blending together stuff thats long been buried and that needs to make a damn comeback to the forefront of aggressive music. I'm talkin' energy and heart like the MC5, raw power like the Stooges (pun intended), groove injectors of soul and the blues, unfiltered rock purity of the early Who, unbridled aggression like Black Flag, and just that altogether we-don't-give-a-fuck-and-we're-gonna-plug-in-and-tear-this-place-down like so many early garage-rock bands... it just oozes with sex and radness... the perfect mixed gnardrink.



You know what, fuck all my (probably) pretentious comparisons and Six-Degrees-of-Kevin-Baconing of their style and sound... That stuff doesn't matter one bit, just pick up the record (I'd pick up the latest, "Sudden Departure of Vultures" which rips like there's no tomorrow) and you'll see for yourself... their shit is dangerous... and that's all there is to it. It doesn't matter how loud you're screaming or how chaotic the music might be, cuz even in aggressive music today, at times, things seem pretty safe by rock n' roll standards. But this band just comes in like a breath of fresh air. You can almost smell the shitty tour van, the broken bottle bar fights in Kansas, the switchblades in the boots, the sweat on jean jackets and beards in the crowd, the VD on the sleazy broad in the black leather skirt with the tar-stained fingertips by the Ms. PacMan machine, and especially the faint stench of fucking awesomeness that you just can't wash off. So do what you do, listen or not... but if you're looking for a group that delivers like a punch to the neck of the music industry, you needn't look any farther... Death to all false ragers.

The American Black Lung - "Doc Bollywood"

Heavy Rotation: The Fellas of the Belly (Nov. 2)

Since we here at BFoH want you to get to know us a little better, we've decided to post the top albums we were jamming out to all week. This will be done on Fridays, since we can't see into the future and put these up on a Monday.

Essentially, this will give all our minions the chance to get a grip on what type of music we listen to on a day-to-day basis. Perhaps you will realize that I listen to a bunch of crap, so you can base your dependence on my album reviews accordingly. If you love my fellow destroyer's picks more, then he may have more merit on your decisions on what to check out. It will also serve as a quick little recommendation guide. Obviously, if we put shit up here, that means we think it's pretty killer; otherwise we wouldn't listen to them all week. Duh, broseph! So here goes the first weekly edition of Heavy Rotation. These are in no particular order.

My jams:
1. Slayer - Reign In Blood
2. Hot Water Music - Caution
3. Whitechapel - The Somatic Defilement
4. Gunmoll - Board of Rejection
5. Test Icicles - For Screening Purposes Only
6. Caspian - The Four Trees
7. The Banner - Each Breath Haunted
8. Dying Fetus - War of Attrition
9. Ed Gein - It's a Shame a Family Can Be Torn Apart...
10. Dillinger Four - Midwestern Songs of the Americas

Spleen Latifa's:
1. Casket Architects - Skull Persuasion
2. Poison The Well - The Opposite of December
3. The Dicks - 1980-1986
4. Shook Ones - Facetious Folly Feat
5. Paint It Black - Paradise
6. Trap Them - Sleepwell Deconstructor
7. Pig Destroyer - Prowler in the Yard
8. The Falcon - Unicornography
9. Naked Raygun - Jettison
10. Arsonists Get All The Girls - Hits from the Bow

Dude, Let's Make a Video, This Song Rips: The Chariot - "The Deaf Policemen"

New weekly column alert, Bellyheads!!

We really could not pass up bringing you this one... It can be seen that we here in the Belly love satisfying your powerviolence video hunger almost more than we love satisfying our own hunger for Chicago-style hot dogs and Guinness. But never mind that, we just love weekly installments of gnarfun to the tenth degree! So, in searching for all the videos we spew forth for you here, we have come across quite the trend running rampant online nowadays. And the only thing we can blame is the bullshit-smoothie made with the blending of the birth of the YouTube generation, the constant need of digital self over-saturation, and the virtually child's play ability of anyone to fancy themselves a sudo-shitty filmmaker... And this trend in question is the homemade music video using someone else's song. Hot album just dropped? Can't wait to break in your new digital camera with video capabilities? Pissed your favorite band hasn't booted out the dough to make a snazzy music video? Think your mediocre talents could do a better job than people who get paid to make 'em? Then you know it's bound to be whispered amongst your idiot friends... "Dude, let's make a video... this song rips!"

So for the spearhead example of our weekly testiment to these bonehead Chris Cunninghams, I selected a delicious little ditty by the boys in The Chariot... played by two black-hooded-sweatshirt-clad numbskulls in someone's parent's backyard... with a cameo by one resilient inflatable punching bag (note: pay close attention to the flying-kick biff at the 00:33 sec mark that almost sidelines our would-be frontman). I dunno if it was his integrity to continue on with this debacle that won me over, or if it was the other hooligan strutting around with his unplugged bass guitar, stiking massive rock poses every chance he could. Either way, give these tykes a hand, they put their heart and soul into this steamer, and apparently they really want the world to see it... or why else would it be open to the public domain? ... Thanks guys.

The Chariot - "The Deaf Policemen" (amatuer redux)

I Recant: wecamewithbrokenteeth Article

You know what? All of you are about to get to see why Belly Full of Hell is so great. We're honest. I just wrote a "Found You, Asshole" for wecamewithbrokenteeth and pseudo-recommended them. I recant. They really aren't that great. I'm leaving up the article because I did technically find them in the manner that we set up for that section, but I don't think they are so hot. You can all decide for yourselves. The more I look at their Myspace, the more these little bastards irritate me. They are all teenagers or some shit, yet they seem to think they know everything about the world of music and all its categorization. If I see one more thing on their site that says "we aren't (enter type of music), get educated," I'm going to flip out. Get educated? How about, get a life, losers? Just because you're jealous that you're still being taught at the district high school level, doesn't mean you need to act like the bee's knees. If you have to keep telling people what type of music you are or aren't, there's a problem. Get over it and go finish your algebra homework. Plus, the pics are trying to make them look all hella, but hella they are not. You want to be classified in the right genre? How about get-over-yourself-core. Does that suit you?

Maybe I should just pull the article. You can tell while reading it that I lost interest halfway through. Meh, then I would have to pull this, and I kind of like this.

Found You, Asshole: wecamewithbrokenteeth

It's time for another edition of "Found You, Asshole," so get ready to jive out. This time around we found wecamewithbrokenteeth. To be completely honest, I don't know if they want this shit all spelled out as one word or if they want it separated. I've seen it as both. I'm leaving it like this. If you have a problem with it, too fucking bad. Or if you're in the band and want to fill me in, then do it. Otherwise it stays as is.

WCWBT is all cybergrind about it. It sounds completely electronic, but their Myspace says they have guitars. In fact, it says they have two guitarists. Whatever. You can listen for yourself. It'll be like a game. No prize, you greedy fascist. Just a game for fun. The drums are all definitely programmed though. At any rate, WCWBT offer up some interesting jams, no matter what the hell they decided to use for production. Although I just said they are cybergrind (which they are, even if their Myspace is trying to act like they are some sort of new bad-ass type of death metal, which they aren't), there are some death influences. This isn't the type of cybergrind one might associate with Agoraphobic Nosebleed, who just plain fucking tear shit up, but it's still pretty good. It's a lot more sludgy, but intensely heavy. The vocals are decent, but they won't rip your face off like some other growls. There are also a bunch of little sections that stray away from the brutality and focus on some lighter interlude kind of stuff. It's alright.

WCWBT will not blow you away. This isn't necessarily a "Found You, Asshole" with the next greatest band. I just wanted to point them out as pretty interesting. I like them, but I don't love them. Try them out for yourself. If you like them, good. If you don't, fine. That's cool by me. I'm not here to think for you... or am I?

There aren't any videos that I could find for this band, but I did come across this while searching. I think you'll enjoy it just as much, if not more.



If you want to hear them, go here: WCWBT Myspace

Dispatches from Powerviolence: STD Grabag Switch Gears

It came as shocking news when this first trickled down the pipe to the Belly, but now after mulling it around I kinda see it as a noble thing... Chicago's acid-punk veterans, STD Grabag, have decided to take some drastic strides in their artistic direction. Straight out the gates, the Grabag boys have just incredibly seethed with biting, fuckin gnarblasts of political speed-rips that merges punk/metal/hiphop/experimental sentiments. Whether on their self titled disc or the EPs, the STD camp always went for the throat, and never disappointed.

I shot the shit with Obi J, the enigmatic vocalist for STD, and tried to pry away at some of the rumors I've heard going around about their current state. Adding even more to the allure, he prefaced answering the questions with making sure i understood he was speaking for himself, not the entire band... But as it stands right now, the band seems to be torn on changing their name or not with this new direction (which I myself am torn on, since I think STD Grabag is one of the greatest band names in rock n' roll... wickedness). But the argument stands now because the boys feel like leaving all their back catalogue behind as they continue to forge forward. Instead of just screaming through every ballistic ounce of powerviolence song after song, they really want to explore their experimental sides, and push farther into the psychedelic realms without losing their deep punk roots

So I do understand a bit... the name STD Grabag comes with a hard-slicing rep, and if they were to move in a different direction from all their releases up until now, should they still keep it? ... However, I am really interested in seeing what Obi J's singing pipes sound like, since I thought his screams fuckin ripped, in every sense of the word. But I guess only time will tell... The only thing that seems to be unwaivering in the STDs is the complete revolving door system they have on bassists. But Obi confides that they concreted down a new one, but he shall remain nameless until they are definite he is the one they're looking for on recording songs for the next full length and also on touring.

So kiddies, keep it damn in the Belly, and we'll keep you up to date if anything more comes our way... But as for what's for damn sure, the STDs will be holed up and cranking out new songs into the winter, and hope to be back on the road come January with this new style... But until then, lets bask in their old powerviolence glory:

STD Grabag - end of "Nation of Lies" and "Beautiful" (live)

Featured DVD: Night of the Living Dead

I really shouldn't even have to write anything about this movie, but in the spirit of Halloween, I felt that it would just be a fun reminder. As many already know, this movie may be the best horror film ever made. Period. It spawned an entirely new way of creating scary movies, and to this day it stands proudly as a masterpiece for your viewing pleasure. Hell, George A. Romero is still making movies based off of this one, and they all go over well with critics. But this is the one that started it all, way back in 1968. That's right, we're talking original here. Don't buy into the remake, even if it did have Romero himself as executive producer. This is the version you want to see. This is the classic.

Shot in black-and-white, the movie tells the story of a group of people hiding inside a house in rural Pennsylvania from reanimated bodies searching for human flesh to sustain themselves. Yikes! That is just spooky! Will they escape? Will they be eaten alive? Not only that, but if a living human gets bitten, he turns into a zombie and gets the cannibalistic hunger himself! Oh, shit! How will it all turn out?! You'll have to watch for yourselves, I'm afraid!

All kidding aside, this movie is awesome. Not only did it make a huge contribution to horror films as we know them today, but it was also a subversive critique of American culture at the time. Scary and political? You just can't go wrong with this one, folks.

Here's an original trailer.

So Sick It Hurts: Calabrese - "The Traveling Vampire Show"

Happy Halloween, ghoulish minions of BfoH! We here at the Belly hope you all got enough candy to rot out your teeth and enough scares to sleep in your parents' bedroom! In celebration of a most righteous holiday, I have decided to do a review on horror punk dynamos Calabrese and their most recent album The Traveling Vampire Show. Put in your plastic fangs, you little bastards!

To begin, it needs to be made clear that Calabrese are probably the best horror punk band currently in existence. That alone should make you want to check them out, but if you're greedy, like most of you are, and want more reason to dial into their spookiness, keep reading.

Not that it comes as any surprise, but this trio of phantoms (actually all brothers with the last name of, you guessed it, Calabrese) brings blood-curdling lyrics involving werewolves, vampires, and other monsters to their songs. There are plenty of clips from old horror movies as well, and that is always sexy, especially if you know what movies they are from! (Fun fact: Their first album, 13 Hallowe'ens, took most of the clips from the original House on Haunted Hill. Can anyone say, "Vincent Price"? I sure can. The man was a god.) Also true to form, there are plenty of doo-wop sing along choruses and straight-up punk hooks. It's hella! As anyone who listens to horror punk can assume, the sound is close to, but not exactly like, that Misfits band I keep hearing about. They were all like, jamming around 50 years ago or some shit.

Point is, horror punk is fucking rad, and Calabrese is the best in the genre. The songs are fun and catchy like all horror rock should be, and the lyrics are spooktacular. It's just a great album. Make sure to check out 13 Hallowe'ens while you're at it, because that record is another that I wore down from repeated listening. Don't forget to catch them live if you can, too. I saw them and they were rowdy and fantastic. All around good guys, I say.

Check out the video for "Voices of the Dead." It's great. But watch out for zombies!

GnarVideo of the Week: HALLOWEEN EDITION

Happy Day After Devil's Night, numbskulls! ... (I think today is also known in some small parts of the country as "Halloween", or something to that effect) ... but more importantly, it's Wednesday! And you know what that means... another lethal dose of our picks for GnarVideo of the Week -- spooky-style.

All joshin' aside, we have finally made it to the most important day of the year, and the most important holiday ever dreamed up by man (with St. Patty's and Flag Day coming up a close second and third, respectively, in the race). So on this special day of days, we've decided to be generous and give you greedy bastards not one, but THREE GnarVideos on this marvelous Wednesday. First off are two of the greatest (and most cleverly titled) songs about this holiday in question... now get creepy creepy spookfest with yourselves, kids.

Misfits - "Halloween" (live)


Dead Kennedys - "Halloween" (live)


And to keep true to the actual purpose of this column (to alert to you to the radness in new video form, or something) ... BUT still keeping with the theme of Halloween, we have selected one of quite possibly the greatest music videos of all time... maybe soley for the sexy over-abundance of Teen Wolf references... and maybe even more so for all the rad 'staches running rampant throughout it.... either way, the shit jams, and we are jamming with it... in fangs and hairy palms.

Every Time I Die - "We'rewolf"

Featured Live Show: A Life Once Lost

**Pre-show Post**

10.29.07 - This is a gnar-show red alert to everyone in the Big Apple area looking to get their face torn off tonight... come on down and rage with me at Lit Lounge to catch one of the sickest live acts around today. Like we said in an earlier post, the Dillinger tour that was supposed to drop a steamer of powerviolence on this city last night, was postponed til December. But the dudes in A Life Once Lost (who were one of the supporting bands on that tour) have the itch and are hitting it like a wrecking ball anyway. And this all works out for everyone, since it was a last minute show announcement (meaning... shits only 6 bucks, and in a tiny venue... totally rad-iocity). The openers of the night are Bloody Panda and Casket Architects, so it should be an interesting night regardless. Or we could all just get wrecked and put our thrash faces on........ GET RIPPED!



For the unannointed... A Life Once Lost - "Rehashed" (live)