A God or an Other - Towers of silence (2013)

I discovered A god or an Other, from Seattle, after they released an interesting demo back in 2011 (HERE you'll find my review of their demo plus an interview with their guitarist). 
they now continue to do good with the release their first album called Towers  of silence. their music is some hybrid metal, melting elements from black metal for the vocals and the dark vibes, post rock / doom for the amosphere building and a bit of dark psychedelia. the songs that were in the demo are included int he album but in a different version, with a better sound of course, and also different arrangements, for exemple the new trumpet parts in synesthesia works really well.
 if you're into atmospheric black metal or atmospheric dark metal in general it's a recommended listen.

check it on their BC page.

 

Antediluvian-λόγος (2013)

Through the cervix of Hawaah, Antediluvian's previous full lenght was one of the best death metal record released in 2011. their split with Adversarial was also of high quality so expectaions were high for their new album called λόγος (its in greek but I dont know what does it means..). The good thing is that the canadians didn't rest on their laurels and made their music evolve. it's now even more dissonant and creepy, a bit like a death metal Blut aus nord, more loose, atmospheric and sometimes a bit doomy. the writing of songs is a bit lost on the way but it's interesting. maybe Through the cervix of Hawaah was better but maybe this one will work as a necessery transition album and if they manage to find a songwriting more focused while keeping the weird disturbing and almost "free" vibe they created in λόγος they could give birth to a new terrific kind of extreme music. one way or another their future stuff should be an interesting listen.

their BC page (but the new album is not in it..).

Body betrayal / Disparate split (2012)

This is a cool split cassette in the good underground tradition. Body betrayal is based in Seattle and Disparate is based in Olympia. both bands plays a music that can be described as crust punk. like any good crust music it's really agressive and raw punk, but there also a well dosed touch of melody and emotion. the two side of the cassette have a sound that feels really live, but not messy (we can hear the good punk basslines and everything), and it fits really well the music of the bands. I'd say that the main difference between the music of the two bands is that Body betrayal is fastest, crust with blastbeats or powerviolence / grind crust whereas Disparate is more D-beat crust.

the music is good but what I like also is that they joined the lyrics to the cassette and for each song there's a few words or a text of explanations about the lyrics, and that's interesting since the lyrics are quite personnal (but at the same time really concerned with the social problems) and deeper than the usual punk clichés.

the tapes are limited to 300 copies but you can check it on Bancamp :

Body betrayal BC page

Disparate BC page

Body betrayal members kindly answered to a few questions I sent them, so you can read it below :

-can you present quickly the band, why called it Body betrayal?

Body betrayal : Body Betrayal is a term that is used in multiple contexts: a lot of people use it to describe gender dysphoria, or feeling triggered after safety has been established from an abusive situation; it is also about the ways in which capitalism makes us feel disconnected from our bodies in order to serve as workers alienated from our labor in an exploitative economic system.


-on your webpages you present yourself as a queercore / queer punk band, I suppose it's because you think your queer identity has a major influence on your music or on the global message the band is transmitting to the listeners, can you tell us about it?

Body betrayal : Queercore is an important signifier as it is a part of our identities, but we are also trying to make space away from the tough guy hardcore scene; many of us love faster music but cannot stomach shows where people become punching bags for broskis. Mainstream hardcore is also teeming with homophobia and sexism and unchecked privilege. Labels definitely have their limitations, and “queer” as a label is not exempt from racism, classism, or anything else, but we’re hoping to move forward making space with folks who are more marginalized in a scene that we’re excited to help create.


-how would you describe your music?

Body betrayal : Loosely as grind or punk.


-which song is your favourite on the split and why?


Eli: “Desperation,” because the lyrics are so brutal and resonate with me.


Matthew: “Desert,” because there’s mad riffage in it.



-how the lyrics are written and what are the main subjects dealt with?


Frances: I write the lyrics; I bring them to practice when new music is written and whittle them down to fit the song structure.  The main subjects dealt with tend to be about my experiences as a survivor, depression, and resistance.


-I think it's great that in the cassette both bands made the effort of joining the lyrics but also writing a few words about each song, a few words about that, maybe giving a song in exemple to explain why it was important to give some more explanations to the listener?


Eli: Having zines accompany records are one of the things I miss the most about punk culture; it was a part of the art of punk and personalizes it. Punk is multifaceted and not just about angry music.

Frances: Context is a huge piece of art for me. I also think per-zines have been substantially influential in my growth as a person. They are a way to create some kind of connection with the person listening to your work, instead of leaving it as a mindless piece of music to be consumed. In some ways it creates the beginnings of a dialogue.


As far as a specific song, it was important for me to talk more explicitly  about “My Gender Is Queer” in terms of being a genderqueer person. It is so tempting to see a coercively assigned female at birth (CAFAB) person on stage and try to lump their project into a female-fronted band because there are so few of them out there, but I discovered that even when I was standing in front of a room full of people and saying “This song is about being genderqueer,” a lot of people didn’t get it. Having a little more intention about that was important to me.


-I like how the song called Desert end with these words

"When active disillusionment is liberatory

wild hearts break themselves

wild hearts clean themselves

wild hearts avenge themselves

wild hearts take care

wild hearts take care"



some comments about what does it means to you?


Frances: Well, part of the pamphlet I stole a lot of the lyrics from, “Desert,” addresses the idea that revolutions are infinite; challenging power is not defeatist just because there is no one moment or rupture that leads to total collapse. Work with what you have, make revolutionary friendships, challenge the normative values taught and the limited future presented as predetermined. That said, undergoing a personal project on that scale is constantly heart breaking; it can be alienating and lonely, and that places more weight on the ways in which people take care of each other and themselves.


-on the page about this song you mention "the spectacle", are you influenced by situationnists ideas? if so, how in your opinion is it relevant for today's fight for emancipation?

Frances: I would say that Situationist ideas have influenced the way I look at things. I like the way they engage with dialectics, and parts of their unapologetic attitude regarding their ideas. On the other hand, I am somewhat put off by the level of self-importance they emanate, and I perceive Guy Debord to be a self-serving patriarchal figure. Everything is kind of a mixed bag though. It seems clear to me that they have had a substantial impact on the language and aesthetics of revolt and continues to pop up in numerous pop-culture pieces as well as anarchist texts.


-how did you get into the kind of music you play?

Body betrayal : For me, Rape Revenge has been a pretty big inspiration over the past year and a half. Punk music has definitely been consistently playing in my ears since I was like 12, but I took a very long break and kind of dropped out of playing music a few years, stopped going to shows, and focused on other aspects of my life that felt like they needed more nurturing. None the less, I've very much enjoyed a lot of the faster and louder forms of punk music, but an extremely small percentage of them actually sang or stood for anything that actually connected with me besides having good music. Anyways, when I heard Rape Revenge for the first time I wanted to start playing fast music again with folks who shared similar views on oppression, patriarchy, gender, racism, and anarchism. Frances was the one who introduced me to RR and that’s what shortly led to Body Betrayal coming alive.

Eli: Dude, it’s in my gut.


-what does punk means to you? do you that it is still a subversive movement or has it now completely been turned into another marketing label?

Body betrayal : Like anything, labels are only useful up until a point before they become recuperated or appropriated to make people money. Punk is not inherently radical, being queer is not inherently radical, even being an anarchist is not necessarily radical. You have to look at what people are doing and how they are acting before you can determine whether you want to align yourself with any signifier (or person, for that matter).


The aspects of punk that many of us still find useful or comforting have to do with challenging authority while creating alternative options, and DIY culture.


-to you does DIY a way to oppose capitalist dominant values or is it more a practical necessity?

 Body betrayal : We would say both. It is a practical necessity to oppose capitalist dominant values.


-a few words about Disparate that shares the split with you?


Body betrayal : We’re sad to say that Disparate broke up, but they are all in other rad projects (Ragana and Prank War) and the original lineup sans Maria is trying to salvage some of their old songs on the split to continue to play live. They’re solid folks who will make you pee your pants laughing.


-seems to me there's a lot of good underground bands from the state of Washington, how would you explain that? which ones would you recommend?

 Body betrayal : I’m not sure, there’s definitely a cultural history here rich with punk and diy bands. Our favorites are: Ragana, Agatha, FDB, Ire Adrift, Kohosh, Dogjaw, Alda, My Parade, Hysterics, the Chain, Cloudbustrr, Hot Tears, White Wards, Dick Binge, Murmurs, Snuggle, Dreamdecay…we could go on and on but those are just a few.


-what is the next step for Body betrayal, what have you planned for the coming months?


Body betrayal : We’re talking about recording at the end of summer and putting a 7” out on a newer indie label based in Berlin. Hopefully we’ll get to a longer tour sometime around the end of the year, and we’re talking about bouncing around out of state between now and then. Big Dreams involve a European tour in the next year or so.

Coliseum-Sister faith (2013)

I really like when punk sounds simple, straightforward and heartfelt. Coliseum is a band that embodies this kind of hardcore punk, and their new album Sister faith (their fourth full-lenght) is a new testimony of that.
their music is somewhere around early Black flag hardcore, with some Motorhead like mid-tempo rocking heaviness and also some melodies and a feeling of urgency that you could find in screamo / post punk. Sister faith is maybe a bit less dark than the excellent House with a curse album was, but it's not less good. so if you liked their previous records, or if you like vibrant hardcore or any heavy punkish rock there's no reason you won't like Sister faith. really enjoyable and recommended!

you can listen to some of the songs on their BC page. 


Ryan Patterson, singer, guitarist and founding member of Coliseum  kindly answered to my questions :

-can you present quickly Coliseum? what is important to know about the band?

Coliseum is Ryan Patterson, Kayhan Vaziri and Carter Wilson. The band formed
in late 2003 in Louisville, KY.

-I like the way your music is kinda like blending the best of punk and heavy metal, making it sound like a perfect biker movie soundtrack. how would you describe what is your musical background and what influences your music?

My background in music is mostly in punk, hardcore, indie rock and the
various offshoot from that. I like some metal bands but I've never been a
huge metal fan and I have always been much more connected to the indie/punk
world. I grew up as a fan of those kinds of bands, I love American and
British punk as well as the proto-punk and post-punk bands, I love a lot of
the music that came out on labels like Dischord, SST, Merge, Touch And Go,
and others. I have always been a huge fan of the DC music scene. All those
various influences and my personal life experiences and interests influence
me and the music we make.

-what about your new record Sister faith, how does it fit in the evolution of Coliseum?

I don't spend a lot of time thinking about how our music relates to what
we've done in the past, we just focus on moving forward. I think Sister
Faith is the record I've been wanting to make my entire life and our best
work thus far. We're very proud of it and happy that people are responding
to it so positively.

-which bands from your area would you recommend?
I live in Louisville and there are always a lot of great bands here.
Currently I'd suggest Young Widows, Xerxes, Early Age, Julie Of The Wolves,
Tropical Trash, Old Baby, Mote, All Dead, Bonnie Prince Billy, and probably
many more I'm forgetting at the moment.

-any advice for someone wanting to start a punk band, what are the key
elements to last and achieve something for a band?

Be creative and don't worry about the rules or trends. Make music you
believe in and work as hard as you can on it. Don't let anyone tell you that
you can't do it or that you should stop. Also buy a tuner.

-what does punk means to you? what do you think about the evolution of punk from its birth up to now, how is it relevant today?

I believe in punk as not only a form and genre of music but as a way of
life. Punk allowed me to not accept the status quo as handed to me, of
looking at any situation and feeling free to step outside of the boundaries
that were set in place. Punk to me is about community, about supporting the
endeavors and businesses of other people from your community, about becoming
self-sufficient and helping others to do so. It's about freeing yourself
from sexism, racism, homophobia, from xenophobia in general. Punk for me is
about being present in the moment, finding adventures, and living a life of
joy and contentment while not stepping on others along the way to get there.
I could go on... Punk as I define it is indefinable but very wide in its
scope. Punk opened my eyes in every way imaginable.

-in your opinion, what are the best and worst part of touring?
The best parts are playing shows and sharing that experience with other
people, meeting people and making wonderful relationships, having fun with
bandmates and tourmates, traveling and seeing more of the world than you'd
imagine otherwise. The bad parts are long drives, days on end spent in a
van, lack of sleep, lack of healthy food, missing your loved ones at home.
The good usually outweighs the bad but it can be difficult at times.

-any chance to see you play in France in the coming times?

We hope to tour in France in November or December of this year.

-which new songs are you playing live?

We're playing most of the songs from Sister Faith live but not all of them
at every show. We're mixing a lot of the new songs with other songs from
throughout our ten years as a band.

-what is planned for Coliseum in the coming months?

We'll be touring a lot through this year and probably next year as well.

-a final "full of wisdom sentence" to end the interview?
Thank you for the interview. Take care of one another, love each other, find
beauty and life in the things in our heads and our hearts and that grow from
this Earth.

Six brew bantha / Water torture split (2013)

Here we have two of the more noticed new grind band reunited on a split record on the occasion of their US tour together. Cool!

Six brew bantha hit hard last year with their self titled first album.  Are they confirming the quality of their music on this split? Yes they are! Their five songs are faultless exercises of pure grind, agressive and catchy in the grindiest way. I really recommend it! (Note that they also releases a split with Agitate).

On this split I'm still not completely convinced by Water torture's music. The six new songs, of the bass and drum duo aren't bad but I just can't get into it. The songs are maybe too simple and stripped out, it could be a good thing and it's the idea behind a bass and drum duo, but I feel that they don't success in transforming their noise into songs or even into a memorable sonic experience. I just find it a bit anoying and a bit boring. But I suppose it's better to see them performing live.

You can listen to Six brew bantha side of the split on their BC page.

I don't know where you can stream the Water torture side.

Lychgate (2013)

In a time when black metal is either brutal and grim or more subtle but in a more atmospheric or post whatever way it's cool when a band is playing sophisticated black metal in a more "old school" technical / melodic way. Lychgate, a new band (with members from Esoteric, Lunar aurora and Omega centauri) signed on Gilead media is playing this sophisticated black metal in their first self titled album. the epic melodies and the keyboard parts reminds me of black metal bands from the nineties, like Emperor or even Cradle of filth for the somewhat baroque excessiveness of some keyboards parts. Lychgate reminds me of some goods things from this era but is not a retro band at all. they also incorporate in their sound some elements that we find in more modern or even forward thinking black metal. it's about the riffing, the melodies and the black metal blast beats, but also about the atmosphere (that could be described as dark and "occult" maybe). they manage to sound at the same time sophisticated and fresh. it's a really interesting record.

Here's their Gilead media Bandcamp page.

Seven sisters of sleep-Opium morals (2013)

About their self titled record released ast year, also on A389 recordings, I said that they were clearly one of the best recent sludge bands (See my review HERE). I'm happy to say that Opium morals confirms all the good things I said about Seven sisters of sleep.every song in it is excellent and Opium morals is one of my favourite record for 2013 yet. the songs are maybe a bit slower than on the previous record but they still are more hardcore than many sludge bands. maybe the riffs, that are excellent, plays a more important part in the songs. but the rythmic side is also very strong with good bass parts that really adds heaviness to the songs, and a drumming that is especially good, more technical and diverse than usually in sludge / hardcore. the vocal lines are also good, adding more dynamism to the songs. the prodution is very good. In fact I don't see any weakness in this impressive record.
Don't sleep on this, Opium morals really is a dope album!

SSS website
SSS on A389 BC page

Per capita / Freedom is a lie split 12''(2013)

if you're into crust/grind it would be a pity to miss this split record between Per capita (from Germany) and Freedom is a lie (from Hungary).
both bands plays a relentless and very efficient crust grind, that reminds the swedish crust/grind school. I'd say Per capita has a more heavier, "fatter" and metal sound, and Freedom is a lie has maybe a more traditionnal punk /  grind sound. and it's a good thing that the two bands on the split doesn't sound the same, each one being very good in it's own style of crust/grind. every 17 songs on this split are great and I really recommend this very good piece of frenetic grinding d-beating!

check it :
Per capita BC page
Freedom is a lie BC page