The cream of the grind 2014

Like I did the previous year I'm gonna give you the list of my favourite grind releases for the year that is just over.
here are the 8 grind releases that I enjoyed the most :

Coffin birth - Necrotic liquefaction            my review        the interview

Cretin - stranger                                          my review        the interview

Six brew bantha - Intravenously commodified       my review

Gridlink - Longhena                                                 my review

split Detroit  / Thedowngoing                                my review

OSK - Wretched existence : bleak future                  my review

Dead instrument - See through negative(EP)        my review

Vertigo index - Posthuman v1.1(EP)                       my review  the interview


good 2015 in grind!

Detroit / thedowngoing (split cassette 2014)

wow, seeing a split with Detroit and thedowngoing, two of the best recent grind related band, coming was exiting. but actually listening to it is even better, I expected really good, and why we have is trully awesome, a monster of a split, a very strong contender for the grind split of the year (and there' are many grind splits). as I said both bands are among the best recent grind bands but each one in a realy style so it really made sense to have them share a split (Hygiene records is really getting a good habit of releasing excellent stuff!). Detroit, the canadian powerviolence / grind powerhouse are offering what is maybe their best material to date, unrelenting and frenetic to a high level.thedowngoing, from Australia, are not letting the intensity fall, compared to Detroit their songs are heavier, noisier and more chaotic. their noisegrind is really devastating stuff.
a faultless and impressive split, don't fail to listen to it.

the Bandcamp page.


and if you want to learn more about these bands you can read the interview I did with them :
interview with Detroit in 2012
interview with thedowngoing in 2012

Water torture / Thedowngoing split EP (2012)

when you team a destructive noisy fastcore bass/drum duo with a punishing noisegrind duo what do you get?
yes, something that's not for your grandma...the ruined buildings pics on the cover artwork of this record works well as a good evocation of what happens in your brain when you listen to this split.
who are the guilty parties?
two rising stars of the PV noisegrind scene : Water torture from Buffalo US and Thedowngoing from Australia (HERE's the reviews and interviews I did related to Thedowngoing). they are touring together the US and I let you imagine the path of destruction they are leaving on their wake...
Nervealtar records is the third culprit releasing this split vinyl/digital EP as a tesimony of the damages done.

Water torture plays eleven songs in 3 minutes. I have mixed feelings about their part of the split. I like short and fast songs but this time I feel that these tracks are to short to be songs. its more bursts of noise. in itself it's not a problem, can be cool, but maybe here it's too short to be really interesting. it starts blasting and you start getting into it and then it stops. it's a bit frustrating...but as a teaser for their live shows it's not bad because I think chances are their live shows are a way more effective and interesting experience than these tracks.

Thedowngoing part of the split is one long track (nearly five minutes, do you believe it?), but it's a collection of songs so it's a bit the same stop and go experience than wih Water torture. but in my opinion it works a lot better. it manages to grab you and stuck you into their whirlwind of audio fury, maybe because there's more heaviness and grooves in the songs (but maybe they're a bit cheating, you know the songs even have riffs! compared to water torture its bordering prog rock!).

as a whole it's a cool split, the Thedowngoing part being more effective and impressive in my opinion.

but the more important thing is that if you can see them destroying your city during their tour, don't miss it!

bandcamp page of the split
Nervealtar blog

The Monomaniac interview vol.1

Three days ago I posted a review of the first volume of the Monomanic compilations series by Blastbeat Mailmurder. Here is this review.


And here is the Monomaniac page on the Blastbeat mailmurder website : MONOMANIAC

I asked Panos Agoros, the man behind Blastbeat Mailmuder a few questions about BBMM, the Monomanic series and its first volume (I also recently posted his answers about the recent record of Dephosphorus for which he sings, you can read my review of the excellent Dephosphorus record, Nightsky transform, and the interview with Panos about it at this location).

read below the Monomaniac interview :

-how did you get this idea of the Monomaniac compilations?

Panos: That was while I was hearing a new song by a local brutal death/grind band, Atavism. They are friends of mine, and have been really slow at releasing new music these last years. So, this new track was a surprise because I didn’t expect anything new from them, as well as because it had a better sound than their previous releases.

I started to brainstorm as per how I could include the song to a future release. I first thought to use it as a side to a split-7”. Then I realized it was just one minute long! It would be  a waste for a 2-way split and even for a 4-way split - since you can fit at least 10 minutes of music at good sound quality to a 7 incher… That’s how the idea occurred to me of compiling several one-minute songs to a 7”!

In order to get all the background, I must mention that ever since I started collecting vinyl I particularly loved 7”EP’s that featured more than 2 songs. I have always felt some sort of weird satisfaction when a 7” featured 3, 4 or more songs. I don’t know why.

-how did you choose the bands?

P.: I started asking to friendly acts and bands that I have been in touch with. In the meantime, Andrew Childers from the excellent blog Grind & Punishment really liked the idea, and volunteered to help me out and ask to a few good grind bands that he was in touch with. That’s how Cloud Rat, Detroit, Thedowngoing and Body Hammer signed in.

-how the bands reacted to the idea of writing songs around one minute long? Most bands on the compilation are used to write short songs, but others usually write longer songs, did they took it as a cool challenge?

P.: The first most interesting thing about the Monomaniac series is exactly that, getting non-grind bands to follow the grind methodology and write a really short song! Some musicians really like the challenge of concentrating their band’s music and style in 60-90 seconds.

The second most interesting is getting together those short songs written by bands of different style and background, but all sharing a common passion for intense, unmitigated underground music and the associated culture/aesthetics.

I hope that if the series go well, the whole concept will get so infectious that eventually I will be receiving spontaneous submissions even from bigger bands (like say, Napalm Death, Immolation or Dark Throne) who will write saying “hey, we think that the Monomaniac series are cool, take this new song that we wrote exclusively for you!”.

-something to say about the order of the tracks on the compilation?

P.: The running order is always extremely important but in the case of a compilation it is crucial in order to maintain the listener’s interest and an overall cohesion.

To start with, I decided to group the grind-ish bands on one side and the black/death ones on the other. This helped assure a stylistic cohesion but on the other hand I hope that most of the people who will buy it will listen to both sides, and not just to side A if they are grind freaks or  to side B if they’re black/death fiends…

In the future this might change, but it will depend of the tracks at my disposal. A blackened grindcore song can be squeezed between a death metal and a black metal song, and vice versa…

Now I will detail a little bit the choice of this volume’s running order.

Side I:

• I thought that Cloud Rat were perfect in order to kick off side A and this whole volume 1. Their song has a thick, metallic sound, some really powerful screams and a seamless flow. I thought that both the grind and black/death audience would like it.
• Style-wise, Thedowngoing were the obvious choice to carry the torch after Cloud Rat. They also have some ear-piercing screaming vocals and  offering in their minute 3 tracks, they are relentlessly hammering the listener making him realize what he got himself into. We’re not kidding here. This is extreme deathnoise for the most vicious of audiophiles!
• Detroit’s powerviolence/hardcore with its raw and gritty production was chosen next in order to give a break from the grind onslaught of the first two bands. It’s still brutal of corpse, but in a different way. Like if we got from nuclear bombing down to street fighting level!
• Sete Star Sept are next and their avantgrinding noise violently erupts making the listener wonder if his equipment just broke! Both the mastering engineer and the pressing factory personnel have inquired whether so much distortion was normal! Anyway, I wanted the overall flow to have some powerful dynamics and a track like “Why Not Intersect” serves exactly that purpose. Body Hammer’s cybergrind tune is also in these veins with some effective dynamics, so it was cool to have it next, letting Head Cleaner close the first side with a more straight-forward and catchy style.

Side II:

• Diocletian were meant from the beginning to open the black/death side of Monomaniac vol.1… “Traitors Gallow” was one of the first tracks to be submitted, and it was also the first excerpt that was offered from very early on to the audience. Its inhumane, take-no-prisoners chaos perfectly represents what I like best about underground metal. Diocletian were the flag bearers of Monomaniac vol.1, a band which has trusted me and signed in instantly eventhough they did not know me very well. Being one of my favorite bands of these last years and with such a monstrous track, they just had to go first…
• The Howling Wind have initially surprised me submitting an instrumental song. It’s an awesomely majestic number with a lot of eerie stuff going on, so it was perfect after Diocletian…
• Sempiternal Dusk is a new death metal band from Portland-Oregon with an extremely dark and menacing sound. Side B featuring two regular songs and two instrumentals, the righteous thing to do in order to maintain dynamics was to alternate them. That’s how This Is Past got the opportunity to close Side II and Monomaniac vol.1 with some ritualistic bombast.

 

-two tracks by Thedowngoing are also on their latest record, it’s an exception isn’t it? The other tracks are exclusively featured on Monomaniac?

P.: Good question! All tracks submitted to Monomaniac must be unreleased and somehow exclusive. Demo/live versions or remixes might fit if they are relevant and of good quality.

In the case of Thedowngoing there is one song on Monomaniac that they have re-recorded for their “Athousandyearsofdarkness” EP, “Floorboards”. I realized this a few weeks before the release of Monomaniac vol.1. I could have asked them to pull it down, but I didn’t because I guess that they’ve somehow missed the exclusivity part of Monomaniac’s concept. Plus it’s a different version than the EP’s and only 1/3 (20 seconds) of their contribution, so I really don’t mind!

The other TDG song that you’re referring to is “Hikabusha (reprise)”. Like the title clearly suggests it’s a reprise which means (quoting Wikipedia’s article): “(…) repetition or reiteration of the opening material later in a composition (…)”. The full “Hikabusha” song that is featured in the EP is 34 seconds, while the reprise is 15 songs long, so it’s definitely not the same song!

There is another similar case, DETROIT’s “Birthday Party”. It’s still unreleased/exclusive to this moment but they have re-recorded it for a future split-LP with Dysplasia (that is going to be an excellent release, by the way). I heard the new version and it’s quite different, having a different sound and more/different vocals/lyrics. I must say thay I prefer the original version though!

Anyway and in order to recap, the vast majority of the songs featured on Monomaniac are new/exclusive material. There might be a couple of exceptions over time, but I am 100% committed in maintaining high quality standards and not including any fillers.

-do you know already which bands will be featured on the next one?

P.: I know some of them and have already a few tracks ready!

The bands that have already submitted material are:

• Mutant Supremacy: excellent death metal from Brooklyn, NY. You are already familiar with them since you’ve reviewed their “Rotting Season” 7”EP, as well as having done an interview with them.
• Burial Hordes: brutal black metal from Greece with Dead Congregation, Enshadowed members. Shiteater, the drummer playing on this track is the last drummer we’ve played with Thanos (Dephosphorus) back at the Straighthate days (2007-8), he’s also playing with Embrace Of Thorns, Necrovorous, Resurgency.
• Gods Of Chaos: chaotic hardcore/grind from Croatia. Excellent band, still relatively unknown which is something that hopefully will change…

I’m expecting in the next few weeks tracks from:

• Ravencult: awesome thrashing black metal from Greece.
• Skullshitter: old-school grindcore from N.Y. featuring Robert Nelson, Mutant Suppremacy’s drummer.
• Progress Of Inhumanity: grindcore from Greece featuring another ex-Straighthate drummer, Nikos Prapas.
• Priapus: grindcore from the states.
• Haapoja: blackened metal/hardcore from Finland.

-do you already know how many monomaniac compilations there will be? Maybe it depends on the success of the first ones?

P.: I will keep releasing new Monomaniac volumes as long as there is enough interest for the series, and as long as I have the time/money to do it… But I like to take one step at a time. I hope vol.1 is going to do fine and in the meanwhile I am preparing vol.2. Support Blastbeat Mailmurder and we will carry on!

 

-what can we expect from Blastbeat Mailmurder in the next few months

P.: Next release in line is “The Mignola Split”, the ever-delayed split-cassette between Kommpound, my personal field recordings/noise/drone/ambient project, and Hellboy 106, a local comrade doing noise. It is a tribute to Mike Mignola and his legendary Hellboy series. It will be Blastbeat Mailmurder’s first cassette release, limited to 60 red tapes.

 

I guess that if things go well, Monomaniac vol.2 should be out early next year (after the end of the world, that is). I will also release at some point two 12”LP’s, and this is a scoop!

The first one, is the self-titled MLP of Injekting Khaos, which is the black metal band where Nikos played prior to Dephosphorus. It is their final recording, and you can stream two out of its five tracks from their bandcamp page. The format will be one-sided 12”MLP with an etching/engraving on the other side, and it is going to be a co-release between Blastbeat Mailmurder, the band, Temple Of Flesh, and Order Of Theta.

I will also (co-)release at some point the final recording of another now defunct band, Kvazar. They were one of Greece’s finest grindcore offerings, as well as friends of mine. I have committed not only to release it, but also to lay down the vocals! It has the length of an EP and most likely will be released as a split-LP with a foreign band that has yet to be determined…

That’s all for now. Thanks so much for your support Dennis, it is appreciated and good luck with Blasting Days!!!

Stream/download Monomaniac vol.1 now from Blastbeat Mailmurder’s bandcamp page! If you don’t have a turntable please consider buying the digital version for the amount of your choice. That will help us finance the next volumes!

You can purchase the 7”EP either from the BC page, or from our paypal store.

Last but not least, we don’t yet have a fancy web store featuring all the titles that we distribute but we’re working on it! Until then, please check out our online catalog. It’s full of killer items. Make your choice then drop us an email. We’ll get back to you asap with the postage cost to your location. If you support us, we’ll keep bringing you inspiring underground releases!

www.blastbeatmailmurder.com

bodybag666@gmail.com

 

Monomaniac vol.1 EP (2012)

I was waiting for this compilation released (vinyl and digital only) by Blastbeat mailmurder for two reasons : the really good bands featured and the concept of this compilation. what's the concept? each track is around one minutes! (even for bands used to releasing longer songs).

the result is a special and really cool compilation, not just good songs, and good bands, but also an interesting exercise in making it short and straight to the point. I usually pass some tracks on compilations, but not with this one!

another interesting point is that it gather different shades of extreme music, while staying coherent (partly due to its concept of one minute songs).
You have the noisy side with the 3 tracks by Thedowngoing (two tracks being already on their last record, but it's really good tracks so I'm ok with listening to it again) and the Sete sept star apocalyptic track. You have the powerviolence side with Detroit or Cloud rat, the black metal side with The howling wind or Diocletian, the groovy grind of Headcleaner, and a more industrial closing with This is past.

here's the track list :

SIDE I, timing: 5:09

1. CLOUD RAT [US] “Finger print v1″ 1:08
2. THEDOWNGOING [AU] “Littered” 0:19
3. THEDOWNGOING [AU] “Floorboards” 0:19
4. THEDOWNGOING [AU] “Hibakusha (Reprise)” 0:16
5. DETROIT [CA] “Birthday Party” 0:34
6. SETE STAR SEPT [JP] “Why not intersect” 0:25
7. BODY HAMMER [US] “Dog Star Man” 0:35
8. HEAD CLEANER [GR] “The Weapon Of The Proletariat” 1:17

SIDE II, timing: 4:53

1. DIOCLETIAN [NZ[ “Traitors Gallow” 1:19
2. THE HOWLING WIND [US] “Bewilderment” 1:26
3. SEMPITERNAL DUSK [US] “Beneath The Emblems Of Death” 1:03
4. THIS IS PAST [GR] “Catatonia” 0:56 

And what's cool is that it's only the first volume! future Monomaniac compilations (with the same modus operandi of songs lasting around 1 minute) will feature bands like Mutant supremacy, Gripe, and other really good bands, so keep your eyes on the Blastbeat Mailmurder releases!

but stop reading and do yourself a favour, listen to it on the Blastbeat Mailmurder website.

Thedowngoing-athousandyearsofdarkness

Athousandyearsofdarkness is the new 12 tracks 10 min record by aussie grinding band thedowngoing (HERE's a review of their previous record with an interview). It will be release the 20th of july. They managed to keep their "furious maelstrom of chaotic and noisy as fuck grind nightmare" sound while at the same time writing songs that sounds a bit more like songs, maybe because it's maybe more focused on guitars and more straight to your face (or maybe I'm just getting used to the amout of violence they deliver!). anyway the damage done is still huge and awfull and it's great! I think it's my favourite thedowngoing record yet.

You can grab it on slim CD or just listen to some songs on their BLOG and also on their BC. Highly recommended for sonic apocalypse lovers!

Mathias Huxley answered to my questions about this new record, the tours and the next thedeowngoing releases :

-you’re releasing a new record called “athousandyearsof darkness”, what can you say about it?

ATHOUSANDYEARSOFDARKNESS is 12 tracks, ten minutes and change. Big noisy guitar, blastbeats, screaming and of course samples. We worked with Jono Boulet on ATYOD, and he really pushed us and our sound further, and i think it shows with the final product, as it takes the foundation laid down with 2011's Untitled EP and builds from there.

-seems to me that the songs, even if it still sounds really chaotic and noisy as fuck, are more guitar/riff s focused, is it just an impression?

We've been together as a band for a few years now, and feel that, with regards to song-writing, that we have taken some bigger steps this time round. There was more focus on each song, and trying to work with the structure and pacing to create some unique moments, while still trying to maintain the cohesiveness across the entire record.

-the lyrics (printed on the record booklet) sound a bit like desperate/apocalyptic poetry, what can you say about it? How was it written? Do you write only for thedowngoing or not only?

The lyrics are written with the song, and start forming and taking shape as a song moves from the creative process into the recording process. I suppose the lyrics are an extension of the music and noise, offering some personal insight into the aural suffering. Apocalyptic poetry is quite fitting, really. I only write for tdg and personal enjoyment.

-have you already played the new songs in live shows?

We're playing the majority of the new songs on tour at the moment, and are having a blast watching the reaction from our fans. The new songs are so much fun to play live, and roll along with an intensity that keeps both of us on our toes.

-apart from the tour what is planned for thedowngoing?

thedowngoing is doing an Australian tour through July and August. In the coming months we will be featured on Blastbeat Productions Monomaniac 7" Compilation series, and are planning a split cassette tape with WATER TORTURE for our USA tour with them and CLOUD RAT in November and December.

-have you discovered cool bands recently? Which is your favourite record for 2012 yet?

There has been some sweet new grind dropping in the last few weeks, but my top release for 2012 would be Shlohmo's Bad Vibes... perfect laid-back tunes for driving down the freeway on a beautiful day.

-something to add in conclusion?

Swing by THEDOWNGOING.BLOGSPOT.COM from JULY 20th to stream/purchase/pirate ATHOUSANDYEARSOFDARKNESS, or check out GRINDCOREKARAOKE.COM where it will also be available.

thedowngoing - review (EP 2011) & interview

thedowngoing is a terrific grindnoise duo from Australia that remembers that grindcore is about pushing the boundaries. And they're doing a good job at it! 

Some would say they don't merely push the boundaries, they pulverize it! And those would have some good reasons to says so!

thedowngoing recipe? 

Noisy samples, screams, blast, drum bashing, guitar abuse, chaotic, short fast and merciless songs.

The results? 

Kicking you far away from your comfort zone, as far as it is meant to be! And doing it with a vicious groove that makes you ask for more!

Now that I gave you a warning I invite you to succumb to it, listen/download their last EP on their grindcore karaoke BC page, HERE.

You can also check what happens if you dare venture on their blog, thedowngoing.blogspot.fr/

Mathias Huxley for thedowngoing accepted to answer to a few of my questions (thank you Mathias!), so you can read it below :

-can you tell us the story of the band?

Muzz and I first met while we were both studying music at TAFE back in 2007. Shared musical preferences led to us performing together on class assignments (Slayer covers), and when the course had finished, we just continued to jam together and started writing our own material.

-is being a duo a choice or more a result of circumstances?

At first it was a result of circumstance, we’d tried jamming with a third member a few times but couldn’t find the right person to round out the band. So in the end, after several months of jamming as a 2-piece, we realised that we didn’t need a third member, as we had found a sound and direction we were both happy with.

-how are your live shows?

Noisy, fast and loud.
I replicate the samples from the recordings using a sample pad, which I play with my feet, while handling guitar and vocal duties while Muzz blasts away behind the kit. Anyone expecting to mosh along is going to be disappointed.

Two memories stand out in my mind from our shows, this one time when we made a classically trained violinist cry because we were “ruining music”, and this one time where a guy shot up heroin at the back of the room.

-is bringing noise and samples into the grind a way to make it sounding different, or just you like grind AND noise and wanted to do both at the same time instead of choosing one or doing it in different bands?

The main purpose of the samples is to provide some insight into the aural carnage, offering reference points amongst the chaos. The noise influence is due to just wanting to push ourselves and our sound as far as possible, it wasn’t so much a conscience decision to be “noise-grind” or anything, more just how our sound has come together through years of playing. We certainly weren’t as “noisy” when we started out, so maybe it’s a reaction to the market saturation of triggered, highly produced garbage that gets passed off as grindcore nowadays.

-your music is really noisy and chaotic, do you think traditional grind is too straightforward and sometimes a bit boring because of that?

There seems to be a lot of grindcore bands nowadays just playing it safe, content to continue putting out records that maintain the grind ethos without expanding on it. It all seems rather redundant to me, since grindcore is about pushing boundaries.  

-on one thing you follow the grind tradition, less than one minute songs! Do you think it helps keeping it intense? Or is it to have more possibility of drinking beer between the songs? or was it for being sure to be featured on one of the coming Monomaniac records?

Grindcore is for the kids with the ADHD, right?
I’ve never given much thought to the length of songs. My song-writing process just involves refining the songs until they hit with the most impact, and part of that process is cutting away unnecessary fat and repetition.
And funny you mention the Monomaniac Comp Series, because in true tdg fashion, we decided to cram 3 tracks into the 60 seconds. Never ones to conform

-what about the lyrics of the songs?

The lyrics are usually introspective, and reflect my personal life, relationships and struggles. They are focused on the negative and dark aspects of humanity, and act as an extension of the noise.
No gore, no porn, no misogyny, none of that bullshit.
I have to really care about the subject to submerse myself in it, to give my all to it, to shred my throat for it.

-what about your coming record?

It’s 12 tracks in just over ten minutes and in my opinion is way more abrasive than the Untitled EP. We have to thank Jono Boulet from Snakeface for recording, mixing and mastering it for us. He really pushed us and got the most out of the recording. We’ll be releasing it in Australia to coincide with our tour in July/August. More details about an international release in the next few months.

-you’ll be part of a coming US tour with Water torture and Cloud rat, tell us more about it?

Super stoked about this. Both Water Torture and Cloud Rat and amazing bands. We’re looking at something like 40 dates in 45 days, touring with Water Torture for the first couple weeks down the East Coast and through the Midwest, and then hooking up with Cloud Rat for more Midwest, some Canadian dates and West Coast shows.
Looks likely the tour will kick off early November, so we’ll have more details on the tour in the next few months as we get it all together.

-which are your favourite grind bands?

Agents of Abhorrence, Cellgraft, White Eyes, Discordance Axis, GATE & Insect Warfare.

-how is the aussie grind scene?

There are some great Aussie grind bands kicking round at the moment, the established names are still going strong (The Kill, Agents, Capt Cleanoff) and newer bands starting what seems like every other week. It is funny to see how well represented Australia is on the world stage when it comes to Grind and extreme music, considering our low population. Every time we get out and play we are seeing more and more people supporting extreme music, and more bands participating in creating it. It’s exciting times for sure.

-tell us a joke!

Napalm Death circa 2012.

-something to add?

Swing by Grindcore Karaoke and take a listen to our 2011 Untitled EP, keep an eye on thedowngoing.blogspot.com for more news on our US tour and forthcoming release, and live life at 300bpm.