Body betrayal -Soft cage (EP 2014)

Soft cage is the new EP (on vinyl) and second release by the crust / punk (or queercore as they call themselves) band from Seattle Body betrayal. (for an introduction about Body betrayal you can, listen to their split with Disparate, and read my review of the split and the interview we did at that time. HERE it is). the EP is 6 songs (they re recorded two songs that were already on their split) and lasts about 10 min. it's mostly crust / hardcore punk, filled with energy, fiercely intense, fast riffing and drumming and screams. but where many bands sounds the same, dull and grey, it's like they breathe more life into their songs, sounding very heartfelt. smarter and more poetic lyrics than usual also. and they found a good balance between fast agressive parts and slower ones, with a slight touch of experimentating  (different song structures) and more diversity than in most punk record.

I recommend it..and wait for a full lenght release!

their Bandcamp page.

Mortefoutre - L'Exécrable symbole défraichi (demo 2013)

Mortefoutre is a black metal one man band from Toulouse (France) and L'Exécrable symbole défraichi is his first demo (issued as cassette by Preposterous creations). I like how it reminds the attitude of early black metal, with its raw sound and its punk and trash elements (some drumming parts reminding Slayer), but on some other songs (the second part of the demo) it shows that Mortefoutre can also display some good black metal of a more atmospheric and modern kind. maybe I prefer the rawer and punkier parts but some diversity in a record is a good thing as well.


you can stream or download if for free on its Bandcamp page

La Dispute - Rooms of the house (2014)

La Dispute is a band that really have their own style and personnality, we could say it's "post hardcore" but just because it sounds rooted in hardcore without being really hardcore, but it does not sound like what is usually called "post-hardcore". the best comparisons would be probably At the drive in. or we could say it's emo but with vocals often  bordering to spoken words territory, and also it's better than emo! their new album Rooms of the house is in the continuity of their previous work and is of the same excellent quality so if you liked it you'll like this one as well. and if you don't know them already it's time to discover La Dispute with this new album!

their website.

INTHESHIT - Priapus (split 7'' 2014)

this INTHESHIT / Priapus 7'' (around 8 min) is a cool US east coast grind release. two good bands, each one playing it's own distinctive kind of grind.

INTHESHIT, from Boson palys  a well balanced grind combining old school elements (some punkish beats, some trademark grind screams) with more modern grind elements (brutal / technical parts, a massive sound), the groove, the vocals and the very tight drumming gives sometimes an impression of Pantera playing some Napalm death songs. and that's fine with me! (HERE is my review of their 2012 album).

Priapus, from North Carolina, is on the more chaotic hardcore side of grind, delivering an intense brutal and technical frenzy with a sharp and modern sound, somewhere between Dying fetus and Converge we could say. good stuff.

the split's been released by the cool Give praise records in february.

the Bandcamp page.

Atacama death experience - Wasted time and broken bones (EP 2014)

Atacama death experience is a new italian duo (drums / bass & vocals) and with the Wasted time and broken bones EP they did an impressive first record. they play some heavy and raw sludge / doom. the excellent bass lines could reminds the damages Eyehategod inflicfts to the sabbathian riffing (but without the frenetic hardcore moments) and the grooves and twisted bluesy vibes could reminds Unsane (but it's slower, heavier and rawer).the vocals are in a black metal vein which fits well to the raw dirty sounds of the band.
I just can't see nothing to complain about the four songs of this EP and I hope their first album will be as good.
it's released as CD by Cimmerian shade recordings (which used to be called Bad  god music, read HERE the interview I did with its founder Dave Lindley).

The Bandcamp page.

and here is the interview we did by mail with Romano Malaciort Monero, founder of Atacama death experience :


-Wasted times and broken bones is your first release, so can you start by telling us about the formation of Atacama death experience? what were your motivations, your ideas about the music of the band, the name you chose, etc...what about being a duo, was it your choice from the start or did it just happened that way? was it a way to have a simple and raw sound, focusing on rythm, texture and heaviness?

The Atacama Death Experience was born in my head (Romano Malaciort Monero) a few years ago. In the beginning it was to be a classic guitar - bass - drums band. Following the drafting of the first pieces I realized that it could work just bass and drums, and I think I was right.

The first band was made by me (Romano Malaciort) on bass and Riccardo Castagnedi on drums. Subsequently to artistic differences Riccardo was replaced by Antonio Iodice who participated in the recording of the ep. Now Samuel Bridi is behind the skins of drums

Behind the name there is no particular story, I wanted to associate the desert and death.


-are the songs on the Ep the first you wrote as a band or the best among the ones you have written?

The songs are the first songs that I wrote. I have excluded only one song because I do not like the arrangement but most likely it will be recorded on the next disc with a new arrangement.

-what about the lyrics?

The lyrics relate to what I think of the world and of my existence. Fleece of time talking about a trip I made under the influence of salvia divinorum, I thought the time was a blanket that enveloped everything and everyone stealing the lives and dreams. Useless Blues talking about work, a practice that I do not think at any level compatible with human life. Finally Rotten Clouds and the title track are visions of a world where everything is bound to end and the only chance of salvation is to destroy what you believe.


-do you see the (kind of) "bluesy" feel in your songs as a way to go back to the earlier roots of doom / sludge music?


I believe, like many others, that the blues is at the root of contemporary music and you can not do without it


-which bands were more influential for you, either for the music or for other things?

At the risk of sounding corny, but I believe that the basis for the music of the Atacama Death Experience there are thousands of hours listening to Black Sabbath. Even bands like Eyehategod or Pantera influenced my creative process.


-which italian bands would you recommend?

Ufomammut and Grimes


-which evolution would you like to see for underground music in the future?

I can not answer that question because I do not care. I will just play and express my thoughts. What will be will be


-what is planned for Atacama death experience in the coming months? are the songs for a future album already written?

I hope to play live as much as possible. The new songs are in the works, let's say we're halfway there :-)

-something to add?

Thank you for this opportunity to talk about us. STAY LOW TUNED AND SICK

Cara neir - The overwatch (EP 2014)

Cara neir is back with this excellent Ep (check also their new split with Flesh born) called The overwatch.
I was a bit disapointed by their last LP Portals to a better dead world, not that it's not a good album  (it is) but i found it not as challenging as their music is usually (read HERE what I wrote about them, and read the interview we did), too close to the usual "blackened hardcore" formula (now that I listen to it again I think that I was a bit too harsh since it's largely more interesting and better than the usual metallic hardcore release). anyway, with their new EP it's a different story and I had the pleasure to get interested in it and like it at first listen. it's at the same time more direct and aggressive (shorter and faster songs) but also more experimental (with the "trademark" guitar work of Garry Brent). really catchy songwriting because it's well crafted but also because of it's diversity (grind, crust, hardcore, black metal, mathrock, they do a smart mix of all that) and capacity to surprise the listener (and as usual faultless delivery from Garry Brents with the instuments and Chris Francis wih the vocals).

highly recommended!

The Bandcamp page.

The Drip - A presentation of gruesome poetics (EP 2014)

A presentation of gruesome poetics is the new Ep by americans grinders The Drip and their first release with Relapse records. six songs of modern grind, brutal, dense, with a powerfull fat sound. it could reminds Rotten sound with it's massive agression (but with more hardcore elements and less Entombed), but of course the major influence would be probably Nasum, like it is for the whole "modern" grind wave. maybe it sound a bit too generic, but at least it's really well crafted, efficient and enjoyable.

the Bandcamp page.