Combat Astronomy - Method and Trap (2024)

Combat Astronomy is a one man band, releasing music since 1999 (I wish I had discovered it earlier!). Method and Trap isn't its latest album, but it's my favourite among its recent stuff. What about the music, Expect high quality instrumental noise/post/math rock, always based on the drums and bass rhythm, but with something different in each release. In Method and Trap I'd say it's the synth soundscapes building an atmosphere in the songs. Subtle and very nicely done. Recommended!

 

The BC page. 

Eunoia - Psyop Of The Year (2022)

Since two of them have been sent to different states, Psyop Of The Year probably was Eunoia's last operation. Which is a pity because it was an excellent album, from an interesting band. They played a nice blend of noise rock and screamo, with also elements of math rock and extreme metal thrown in. Nicely surprising at the first listen, and even better when you knew the songs more. 

 

The BC page. 

 

REPLICANT - Infinite Mortality (2024)

Been thinking about reviewing a Replicant album for a long time, and now that with Infinite Mortality they released a third excellent album in a row, it's due time I do it. They deliver some dissonant death metal, of a technical / mathy kind. What I like the most about Replicant is that they're really good at finding the right balance between avant-garde impredictibility and writing memorable songs with enough groove and melodies to be catchy enough as well (we're definitely not talking about "easy listening" music, though). Warmly recommended!

The BC page.

 

 

Antigama - Witheout (2022)

Witheout, the eight album from Antigama delivers another excellent piece of forward-thinking math-grind. Feeling a bit more straightforward and slower than The Insolent was, with a less catchy songwriting it will maybe stay as less memorable, even if I also like how they managed to develop this time a different atmosphere, less frenetic, more deliberate (but still super fast and angry!), dark and dystopic. Without confirms their place as the best technical and modern grind band. A strong contender for best grind album of 2022 !

The BC page.

 

Aseitas - False Peace (2020)

False Peace the second album from Aseitas is really an interesting release (Translation Loss records), finely crafted and original. Could be described as progressive death metal with mathcore elements and could remind a more rooted in death metal Imperial Triumphant. Many people picked them in their "best of 2020" list, and maybe I'll do the same, it's indeed an excellent album.

The Bandcamp page

Cognizant - Cognizant (2020)

Eight year and a half after its beginning, this is the 1 001th post on this blog. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy doing it.

Ok, le'ts go back to reviewing...

Another innovative release from Nerve Altar. Cognizant is a technical death/grind (or maybe "math grind") band with Bryan Fajardo on the drums. Their first, self-titled album is more about crafting a weird, dissonant and futuristic atmosphere than about relentless blast beatings. The result is interesting and really well done. Quality stuff.

The BC page.

Lightning Bolt - Sonic Citadel (2019)

Sonic Citadel, the seventh album (again with Thrill Jockey Records) from the drum/bass guitars duo Lightning Bolt is roughly in the same vein as the previous one Fantasy Empire, and that's fine because it's also very good. Their noise rock with a kind of free rock feel is as intense as usual, with the spectacular drumming,  the loud bass guitars and  screams, but also some good melodies and adventurous and inspired songwriting. Another very strong and enjoyable album.

The Bandcamp page.

Lightning Bolt - Fantasy Empire (2015)

It took me some time to make up my mind about the bass/drum duo Lightning Bolt and their latest album, Fantasy Empire. Maybe it was because I had the idea Lightning Bolt is a mathcore band. Yes some elements of their music could be described as mathcore, but it's a much more complex animal. The raw power and energy they carry evokes hardcore but of course they don't have the straightforward side of hardcore. The fuzzy bass sound reminds noise rock or sometimes heavy psych rock when it gets a bit melodic and trippy. And the rhythmic complexity  could evoke math rock / mathcore but it sounds more loose and improvised, more live, so it's often more free rock than math rock. Well call it what you want to me it's a very dynamic and powerful album with a unique approach and sound, very cool stuff.

The BC page.

Endon - Through the Mirror (2017)

You can trust the Japanese for being more radical, for exploring and pushing further the boundaries of the extremes. Endon evolves in the uneasy place between mathcore and noisegrind, a bit like a Dillinger Escape Plan becoming more extreme instead of more melodic. If you liked their shattering 2014 debut Mama, be assured that with their new album, Through the Mirror, they still are as wild as can be. The mood is maybe a bit lighter, slightly less horrific, while staying very intense and dark. Strong stuff!

The Bandcamp page.

Wild throne - Harvest of darkness (2015)

Harvest of darkness is the first album from Wild throne, a trio from the state of Washington (USA). It includes the songs from the Blood maker (2014) EP plus eight new songs. It sounds clearly influenced by the high pitched vocals and the psychedelic mathcore extravagancies of The Mars volta. But they don't sounds like they try to be a next Mars volta nor more Mars volta than Marx volta and their approach is more straightforward, it's less experimental and progressive. The songwriting is really good and the melodies and rythms will easily stick to your mind while the execution is like a sheer overflowing of energy, the singer sounding like in a non stop state of hysteria. which is quite communicative. Harsvest of darkness is a really enjoyable album.


their website

Antigama - The insolent (2015)

The insolent is the seventh full lenght album of polish grinders Antigama. And this is truly a masterpiece in "math grind". They're often described as "cyber grind" and there is indeed a futuristic element in their sound, but they have a "real" drummer and I think "math grind" is more fitting to describe their music. Grind with sophisticated rythmic patterns and song structures. There's the "mathy" side of their music but it's still grind, even reminding Napalm death, but the most forward thinking Napalm death pushed even forward. There's diversity and surprises in the songs but also in the album, with faster shorter songs and  longer ones with slower, sometimes also more melodic, parts. Unlike many "math" or "technical"rock / metal bands you don't get lost and disconnect after a few songs, they manages to stay "catchy" and at the same time very intense throughout the whole album. A very satisfying album. To be honest I wasn't that much into their music up to now, but I really dig this album and it makes me want to rediscover the rest of their discography. The album is released by Selfmadegod records.

The Bandcamp page.

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.

Head records : the interview

Head records is a label based in Montpellier (south of France) It  releases different kind of underground music, it can be hardcore, stoner, math rock, noise rock, or something else, but whatever the style it's interesting music of good quality (you might have heard about Verdun, Mudweiser, Morse, Pneu, Microfilm, or Cafe flesh for exemple which are among the bands associated with Head records) .
living also in Montpellier I had the occasion to interview Abel, Head records founder, about his label.

Check Head records website

and Bandcamp

and if french is not unknown to you, read the interview below :

-Abel, pour commencer est ce que tu peut revenir sur ce qui t'a motivé et décidé à lancer Head records?

 Abel : à la base j'étais chanteur dans un groupe hardcore / noise qui s'appelait Spinning Heads, ce qui m'a amené à auto-produire des disques, d’où le nom du label Head records puisque sa vocation première était alors de sortir les disques du groupe. Avant la sortie du premier disque en 2006 (le premier 45 tours de Spinning Heads) Il y a eu en 2003 la création d'une association pour organiser des concerts. Au départ Head Records faisait plutôt du management de groupe, aider à trouver des labels, etc., puis a fait label directement. le déclic a été de sortir le disque du groupe Goodbye Diana, ce qui a montré que Head records pouvait fonctionner comme label. 

-Quelles sont tes activités en dehors de Head records? 

Je produits des disques pour des labels de jazz basés à Montpellier, et depuis juin 2013 je fais aussi la programmation du Black sheep. 

-quel était le projet artistique de Head Records au départ, est-ce que ça a évolué? 

Non pas de ligne artistique bien arrêtée au départ, je fais mes choix selon mes goûts personnels tout simplement, aujourd'hui c'est globalement noise, stoner, hardcore, math rock, mais ce qui compte pour me décider à le faire c'est que j'aime la musique du groupe, quel que soit son style. 

 -comment se passe le processus qui va jusqu'à la signature d'un groupe? 

Comme je disais, mon choix se fait selon l'affinité musicale. Parfois c'est le groupe qui m'a contacté au départ, parfois c'est moi. Je reçois plusieurs liens de groupe par jour, qui viennent de presque partout dans le monde, certains sont pour les concerts que j'organise. Pour donner un exemple, sortir le disque de Mudweiser m'a fait recevoir beaucoup de musique de groupes de stoner. 

 -Il a bien marché donc ce disque de Mudweiser? (vous trouverez ICI la chronique Blasting days du disque en question, avec l'interview que j'ai faite avec Jay le bassiste du groupe) 

Oui leur disque a pas mal marché, avec Pneu et Microfilm c'est le groupe du label qui marche le mieux. 

 -tu peux nous présenter maintenant les sorties les plus récentes du label? 

Alors les dernières sorties sont : 

 -Morse : (voir la chronique et l'interview dans Blasting Days). 

les autres gars du groupe m'ont forcé à sortir le disque (lol) ! 

 -Les yeux de la tête : Trio instrumental basse, batterie et saxophone. C’est le deuxième disque que je sorts pour eux, le premier étant co-produit avec un label jazz (Rude Awakening) pour lequel je bosse par ailleurs. 

 -Jean Jean : Duo instrumental math rock, Je les suis depuis leur début et leur ai proposé, il y a quelques mois, de sortir un disque, ce qui est désormais fait. 

En tout cette année 5 sorties donc (ces trois là plus Mudweiser et Town in a Mess, trio rock noise hardcore avec un ancien Spinning Heads). 

-et les prochaines sorties ça sera quoi? 

Le CD de Stuntman (métal core de Montpellier) en 2014 avec Solar flare records et Lost Pilgrims records sur d’autres formats : respectivement vinyle et K7. Mais aussi un split entre Les Yeux De La Tête et un groupe batterie et saxophone de Rome : Mombu. Un autre split vinyle entre deux groupes stoner de Montpellier : ÖfÖ Am et Lahius (voir ici la chronique et l'interview concernant le dernier album d'ÖfÖ Am, The beast within). On travaille aussi sur un prochain album de Pneu, j’espère le sortir en 2014. 

-de façon plus générale, comment tu vois l'avenir du label? 

J’ai prévu d'acheter un camion pour aider les groupes à partir en tournée, d'abord ceux du label, puis d'autres groupes de la région éventuellement. Sinon poursuivre l'activité "normale" chercher à avoir des chroniques pour les disques, les faire connaître via les réseaux sociaux, organiser la distribution (disquaires et streaming / download) et développer la vente par correspondance des groupes et labels que je distribue. J’aimerais créer de l’emploi mais pour le moment ce n’est pas facile de générer suffisamment de rentrée d’argent régulière pour y penser sérieusement. 

-c'est quoi ton avis sur le téléchargement? 

Au début le téléchargement illégal m'embêtait, mais j'ai compris que maintenant les gens voulait être sur d'aimer avant d'acheter et pour ça il faut qu'ils aient l'opportunité d'écouter avant d'acheter…

Haut & Court - La vie EP (2012) & interview

Haut & Court means High & Short, like in "hung high and short", it is a band from Strasbourg (east of France). They formed in summer 2012 and just release their first six track record called La vie. They call their music "mathcrust" and it is indeed raw and dark hardcore with some "math" riffing /drumming. The vocals are in a death metal/black metal vein. It's a first release but it seems that they already found their own style, a thing that is really welcome in an overpopulated "blackened hardcore" genre. They manage to bring something different and since the sound, the playing and the songwriting are also good I think it makes a really successful first record. When it stops you want to start it again (it lasts less than 15 minutes) and each time I listen to it again I like it better (especially the fast moments that makes most of the record, a bit less the slow ending).

Try it and spread the word (they're looking for places to play and maybe a record label). Here's their bandcamp

Arnaud from Haut & Court agreed to answer to my questions so you can read it below :

-you formed last summer, how did it happen ? What was the project with Haut & Court?

The drummer, Ravind and the singer, Arnaud knew each other for a while and it has always been obvious for them that they would play together.

Then the guitarist, Bernard joined and the alchemy came right away.

-I don’t know a lot of other band doing this mix of neocrust/hardcore with math elements, how did you get the idea?

We all have various influences and we wanted to enhance the crust style. A kind of mix between originality and efficiency. 

-I guess you play or have played with other bands, which ones?

The drummer has played for several month in The Pledge Of Cain, real nasty sludge from Strasbourg.

The guitarist is still playing in an open minded hip hop band called UNT.

-a few words about La vie (the record!)?

We tried to do the most raw and direct music we could. It has also been our first experience in studio, but we're quite proud of that first shot.

-what about the lyrics?

Each song has it's subject.

Let it burst: Revolution will come through Evolution, it's the small things that matter. 

Krokodil: About addiction, in every possible dimension

Collision: We're leaving in a molecular gang bang, so fuck the differences, we're all the same.

This Genesis: Basically, stop weeping on everything & start something. 

Life: Ahah.

Wasted time for wasted minds: Focus on what really matters. For us it might be cheese.

-you’re looking for places to play isn’t it? looking for a record label also?

Indeed! We really want to share our music and meet new people, it's what bring us together as a band.

For the labels, we aren't in a rush, we already had a few propositions, but we are still open, it is not our first aim those days.

-do you already have new songs or ideas for the next record?

We are always working on new stuff, hopefully our album will be ready for the middle of 2013. 

Being in studio helped us to improve our creativity skills, therefore we'll try to go there asap.

-which bands were the most influential for you?

We're all very eclectic in our influences, it goes from fusion like Zappa, George Duke to pop rock, hip hop and of course, metal, in its wider definition. 

-which bands from your area would you recommend?

Tortured Soul, Ratbomb...

In fact, the Alsatian scene is quite huge, we are lucky to have plenty of awesome bands in the area!

-your favourite records for 2012 so far?

The drummer has been highly brain damaged by the last This Gift Is A Curse, the guitarist stopped at the latest Zappa release so don't ask him about novelty. And the singer is definitely waiting for the next Booba to come out this month. 

-what do you think of the evolution of the hardcore scene these last years?

Hardcore is constantly mutating, we are glad to see a new chaotic/blackened hardcore scene coming out to give a bit of freshness in this genre. It's only the beginning, and it already hurt.

-any last comment?

Thanks a lot for this interview and for the support, we only had good feedback from our EP for the moment, we are swimming in love! 

We're really enthusiastic about the future. We hope to travel as much as possible, so, see you soon!