From Issue #301

In March I ventured away from the colorless rain-soaked forests of Olympia for a week to visit my favorite southern city, Austin, Texas. Weather-wise the differences were pretty major with Austin already having temps well into the 80s. As many of you are aware this time of year is a good time to hit Austin due to the many hundreds of shows happening as part of, and around, the South By Southwest music showcases.

I saw many great shows despite not having the required SXSW (as it’s abbreviated) wristband to get into the official shows. Some of the surrounding shows are arguably better and attract many of the same bands anyway.

I spent a lot of time at a place called the Typewriter Museum where there are two days worth of shows called Fuck By Fuck You and Fuck By Fuck Y’all, set up by the guys who run the Australian Cattle God label. One day the bands fall more into the category of country, Americana, roots style bands, and then one day it’s punk, rock and metal bands.

Both shows had many amazing bands. A few who particularly stood out were Lozen, all the way from Tacoma, Washington and This Is My Condition, from Lawrence, Kansas. Lozen is a two-piece playing a noisy, driving rock not unlike the Melvins. Great songs and presence from those ladies. They have a CD our already on Australian Cattle God and should have new material later this year. Look forward to seeing more of them at home in the Northwest.

This Is My Condition is a one-man band, a guy called Craig Comstock. Craig sets up a drum kit and then straddles a guitar across his snare and floor tom, and then unleashes the fury on both with the sticks. Miraculously not only can he pull this off, but the songs are all rad heavy noise rock that could easily pass for a full band if you weren’t watching him. But watching this dude play is half the fun. Needs to be seen to be believed.

A show was set up in the supposedly shitty part of town at a bar whose name escapes me now. This bar has a large “backyard” and out there was a show that included Sex Vid, Iron Lung, Annihilation Time and Municipal Waste. You can’t really ask for more than that.

Unfortunately we lagged in getting over there and Sex Vid had already done their thing. Iron Lung hit the stage and ruled for the entire duration of their epic 7 minute set. I think cops showed up and tried to shut the show down. Iron Lung got off the stage. I don’t know what happened in the interim but Muni Waste set up about 20 minutes later and ripped into their set.
Municipal Waste is kind of a phenomenon. They are obviously the big dogs of the whole thrash revival thing. The kids absolutely go ape shit bananas when they play. Some shirtless fat dude exits the circle pit, comes over to where I’m standing, picks up a garbage can full of empty bottles and cans, returns to the circle pit, and tosses it all over the place, only slightly raising an eyebrow by the other initiates. I don’t know whether to laugh or cry. I don’t know the bands material well enough to point out certain tunes but it appears all the “hits” are aired and a particularly violent response is received upon the repeated chorus of “Municipal Waste Is Gonna Fuck YOU UP!” Great set boys.

But for my money (even though it was free) the night belonged to Oakland’s heroes Annihilation Time who have perfected the twin-guitar NWOBHM meets SoCal hardcore sound they’ve been honing these last few years. New tracks played gave a taste of the forthcoming Tee Pee Records LP and the kids seemed to go almost as bonkers as they did for the Waste. Seems the larger metal and punk world will soon discover what many in the underground have known for some time, Annihilation Time are kings.

Over at Beerland the next night Iron Lung and A.T. ripped through destructive sets again, along with Brutal Knights and the Marked Men. Closing the show out that night was Easy Action, the latest incarnation of hardcore’s greatest vocalist of all-time John Fucking Brannon. The crowd thinned out during this set, but Easy Action has the class of a band that’s been around. Brannon’s vocals are still raw as shit and the band tore through songs both old and new of their filthy Detroit punk blues. More people should love this band.

During flights and layovers I had ample time to digest some of the shit I received in the mail over the last several weeks. First up, Cursed is a Canadian band whose latest album is titled simply Three. This was my first exposure to the band and it was a positive experience. An intro, “Architects Of Troubled Sleep” comprised of overlapping spoken samples and menacing noise blasts into “Night Terrors” a grind-influenced maelstrom of anger. From their Cursed distill their sonic brew with crust, grind, metallic hardcore and some Swedish hardcore. Sometimes within the confines of a single song. Songs vary in length, with most sticking below three minutes and that’s where Cursed are at their best – the short, sharp shock. The cover art on the CD looks eerily similar to Kylesa’s second LP and it’s not hard to imagine those two bands on tour together. Trap Them, Himsa and bands of that ilk seem a logical reference. Released by Canadian label Goodfellow Records.

Dudes! T he Birkenstock wearing hesher punks at Oakland’s Tank Crimes have bestowed upon our unworthy ears one of the best records of this young year. The new LP from Population Reduction Each Birth A New Disaster is a fuckin’ masterpiece! Total hardcore thrash grindin’ weed-fuelled brilliance. Not one wasted riff on the whole record. If bands like Insect Warfare, Hatred Surge and Magrudergrind are doing it for you these days, do yourselves a favor and pick up this LP, it’s right up there with the best in the muthafuckin’ game. Sweet gatefold LP and total maniac artwork by Becky Cloonan. The songtitles and lyrics are pure comedy, like “Schnauzer Autopsy” “Road Rage At The Farmers Market” and “Black Metal Beach Party”. Folks, it don’t get better than this. Go to it!

Lethe is a 5 piece from Lawrence, Kansas with a new 3 track demo in circulation. The band just completed a Midwest tour with Samothrace with whom they share a member, the bedreadlocked 6 string low ender Dylan Desmond. Nearly a half hour of music in these three tracks of all instrumental post-metal progressive doom rock. These guys are musicians. Three damn guitars and a six-string bass. I hear small doses of Floyd and Rush style influence mixed in with the heavier stuff. Musician types like this can often disappear up their own asses, but Lethe stick to the theme and keep the song at the forefront rather than their own wanking. I liked this a lot more than I thought I would. I shoulda known it’d be great with Dylan the Dude involved. Anyone into stuff as far ranging as Stinking Lizaveta to Red Sparrowes will probably get into this. See for yourself myspace.com/lethecult.

Punks who allow some black metal meat in their vegan diets will most certainly enjoy Just Fuck Off a CD from Canadian solo black metal unit Malveillance. This is raw-stripped and fairly one-dimensional d-beat style blackness with lo-fi recording and no-fi attitude. Just face-ripping Bathory meets Discharge damaged dementia. Bone Awl, Order Of The Vulture and early Impaled Nazarene would all make good reference points. Available from New Scream Industry, newscreamindustry.blogspot.com.

Also out on New Scream Industry is a split release between long-running SF Bass destroyers Burmese and Cadaver Eyes. Both bands mix up harsh power electronics with guitar bass destruction like a collision between Whitehouse, Man Is The Bastard, Lightning Bolt and some goregrind. Tough on the ears and the nerves. Just the way I like it.

Tractor is a UK band with a new three song demo, Cattle. Influenced by Godflesh and all things AmRep, what they’re doing isn’t new, but they’re doing it with effectiveness. The drummer Kunal runs the Superfi label. Check them out at superfirecords.com/tractor.

I had somewhat high hopes for Animus Mortis seeing that they are from Chile. The South American maniacs almost always come with something different, but raw and ugly and truer than most of their Northern hemisphere brethren. Not the case here. Atrabilis (Residues From Verb & Flesh) is too overtly European to really set it apart, and as such is a fairly by the numbers deal. The production is good, the speed is there, the acidic vocals, tons of double kicks, but ultimately this just sounds like Glorior Belli, Mortuus and other such second tier bands. Not bad, but there’s just way too much shit like this circulating right now. This is what the N.E.D. label has spawned. Released by Debemur Morti Productions.

Power Quest plays power metal not surprisingly. Every once in a while I’ll get into a power metal album – you know shit like Blind Guardian. I love me some Blind Guardian. But that band at least has some balls in their sound and a lot of thrashiness to go with their epic tales of Lord of the Rings style nerdness. Sadly Power Quest don’t deliver on that front. They sound like a weaker version of Hammerfall (who’s first few LPs I am into), or maybe a faster version of Europe if they played way too much Nintendo (big perm keyboard alert). The album is called Master Of Illusion, on the Napalm label. One for the white frilly shirt crowd. Otherwise avoid.

Clutch, Crowbar, High On Fire, Mastodon, Akimbo and even Neurosis are all digested and regurgitated on the latest album from Taint, Secrets And Lies. Every song has many riffs, time changes and tons of highly charged rock aggression. Big ass production, including a loud mix by Alex Newport of Fudge Tunnel. I haven’t heard the first album by Taint but was led to believe it was more of a doom record. Those elements are definitely present here like on “Goddamn This City” but ultimately this record is aiming for a shot toward the more mainstream metal sounds of the aforementioned bands. Not my style so much but a lot of people will get into this kind of thing. Sounds like it should be on Relapse, but it’s released by Candlelight in North America and Rise Above in Europe. I do like the Napalm tribute title of low-key album closer “Mass Appeal Sadness”.
Despite the shitty name Brown Jenkins’ latest recording Angel Eyes is actually a really great mix of sounds with a blackened foundation. Take the hypnotic meanderings of Burzum, Thorns and Ved Beuns Ende, then add some less obvious Justin Broadrick sounds and you have Brown Jenkins. All the tracks sort of blend together into a seamless whole with a cumulative effect of lulling the listener into a hazy narcotic nightmare. Interesting stuff.

It’s worth mentioning that Southern Lord has reissued the Lurker Of Chalice CD as a digipak and included the bonus track that was originally on the vinyl version. For those that don’t remember Lurker is the other band of Wrest from Leviathan, and is as good, maybe even better. The CD comes in anticipation of Lurker’s long awaited follow up later this year Perverse Calculus.
In light of all the thrash hype it behooves us to look at one of the all time best thrash records ever, yet one that seems to get overlooked when talk of all the greats ensues. That is Eternal Nightmare by the Bay Area’s own Vio-lence. Released in 1988 this album came a little late in the game which may be one reason it gets overlooked, but make no mistake this is in the top 10 thrash records of all time posers. Every song is packed with riffs that are both aggressive and unforgettable. Sean Killian’s vocals take a little getting used to. Not as aggressive as Paul Baloff or early James Hetfield, he’s more of a singer, but has a good command of his voice giving a full range of personalities within the songs.

Although the first side is all hits like “Serial Killer”, “Phonophobia” and the title track, it’s really the second side for me, only three tracks, that really elevates the album into the thrash metal Valhalla. It starts with “T.D.S. Take It As You Will” and then leads into one of the all-time great mosh classics “Bodies On Bodies” which twists and turns with precision and around the two minute mark breaks into a monster mosh gallop. The mob chorus of ‘Bodies And Bodies’ evokes visions of hundreds of thrashin’ maniacs piling on top of each other to get to the stage. Nearly 5 minutes into the song, it reaches its frenzied peak once again for another round of violence. Municipal Waste, if you’re reading, COVER THIS SONG.

Another piece of thrashtastic mayhem closes the LP, “Kill On Command”. It’s full speed ahead, until about 3 minutes in and then it gets to the mid-paced mosh break and Sean Killian’s cry of “money, money, money, money, MONEY!” I recall spending a night of drunken mayhem thrashin’ around the warehouse of my old job with a few friends and causing utter damage while listening to this record. Seriously folks this ranks right alongside “Kill Em All”, “Bonded By Blood” and “The Legacy” as one of thrash’s crowning jewels. I found a copy of the vinyl at Rasputins a few years back for $3 and recently Megaforce reissued the album with a bonus CD of a full live set. Track it down chump!

OK folks that’s all the energy I have for you this time around. I’ve got a busy weekend coming up with shows on Friday, Saturday and Sunday of all shades and colors. Friday its Reuben’s other band Gun Outfit, Saturday it’s Wolves In The Throne Room at Hall Of The Woods and then Sunday it’s Yellow Swans and Sissy Spacek at The Phoenix House. Busy times. Seems like in Olympia good shit happens packed together, and then nothing for a while.

You can find the old columns at dontfuckingtry.blogspot.com. Don’t Try, 120 State Ave NE #136, Oly, WA 98501 USA. donttry@20buckspin.com