Barren Womb - 2012 On the Origin of Fæces

Band : Barren Womb
Album : On the Origin of Fæces
Release Year : 2012

 Genre : Hardcore | Punk | Experimental

Tracklist :

01. Mohawkwind
02. My fault, your fault, default
03. Less is Roger Moore
04. Pink funeral
05. A matter of life and death metal
06. Are we werewolves yet?
07. I have a hobbit to support
08. My pal Trench Foot

Barren Womb are a noise punk/hardcore duo hailing from Trondheim, Norway. Formed November 2011 by Timo Silvola and Tony Gonzahl after the disbandment of their former band, Like Rats From A Sinking Ship, Barren Womb blend hardcore punk with elements of black metal, grindcore and country.
On the Origin of Fæces Containing 8 intense protest songs lodged.

Two guys who used to be in Like Rats From A Sinking Ship makes up this noise duo from Norway. Have to admit that I was never a fan of lrfass neither on record or live so I did not have high hopes for this when I first put this on. Press-description was short but managed to include ‘protest songs’ and this combined with the EP title and track titles like ‘Less is Roger Moore’ and ‘I Have a Hobbit to Support’ did not lift my spirit neither. Have no lyrics so we will just have to take their word that these are indeed protest songs.
Musically this is far better than lrfass. They got rid of the super annoying synth elements and have stripped their music down bridging noise, metal and more punk elements together with a thick and heavy sound that suits them good. At times they are quite melodic (‘Are we werewolves yet?’) and other times they are playing a whole lot faster bordering towards straight up hardcore (‘I have a hobbit to support’). They are at their best when they slow down and play as ugly as they can (‘A matter of life and death metal’). Over the course of the 8 songs though, they are losing my attention as this gets to generic. Norway has been spoiled with bands in this genre lately with bands like Noxagt and Årabrot and although Barren Womb do a decent attempt this just shows they have a long way to go if they aim to step up to the throne. -Kjetil Holstad (collectivezine)

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All the Best Tapes - 2011 This is Not a Record, This is All the Best Tapes

Band : All the Best Tapes
Album : This is Not a Record, This is All the Best Tapes
Release Year : 2011
Genre : Punk | Mathrock

Tracklist :

1. Old Device
2. Pious Fool
3. Caterpillarism
4. PDW Ribbon by PDW Ribbon by All the Best Tapes

All The Best Tapes are a four piece punk band from Stoke, UK who suffer from a bad case of gruff vocals with tinges of harmony, an obsession with odd timings, widdly riffs, and Rush.

Forming at the very end of 2010, Tapes have since built up a strong collection of song and released their first real E.P., 'This Is Not a Record, This Is All The Best Tapes...', on Circuit Scene Records. As well as t...his record the band have proved their ability as performers with a tight, powerful set destined to make even the most hardened cynic think about unfolding his arms and moving away from the back wall.

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The Sick Lipstick - 2002 The Sick Lipstick

Band : The Sick Lipstick
Album : The Sick Lipstick
Release Year : 2002
Genre : Noise | Punk | Experimental

Tracklist:

1 The Bloody Ropes
2 Creamy Plastic Pink Leotard
3 Sermon From Between His Legs
4 Smudged Lipstick
5 Cardinal Newman
6 Let Me See Your Woman's Bump

Shortly after the demise of their former band Black Cat #13 in 2001, Lindsey Gillard and Mark McLean joined forces with Allan Graham to form the quirky punk rock group The Sick Lipstick. During the two-year period in which Black Cat #13 was together, they managed to garner a large, devout following, even though they only put out a handfull of vinyl-only releases, including a 7” on the influencial Three.One.G label.

The band’s debut EP was released by Sound Virus, an up and coming California label that has put out records by great and cutting edge bands such as The Blood Brothers, Liars and Pretty Girls Make Graves. Since it’s release in September of 2002, the EP has sold strongly with little promotion, due to the large following of Black Cat #13.

A punk album on acid. This is absolutely NOT for the typical punk fan, but for a more open minded punk fan, if any. A homerun for the noise punk/lo-fi genre!

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Off Camber - 2012 cat 4 upgrade

Band : Off Camber

Album : cat 4 upgrade

Release Year : 2012

Genre : Hardcore | Punk | Experimental

Tracklist :

1. group ride
2. cages
3. adventure till death
4. there's no solace like desolation

Off Camber is a relatively new band from North Western New Jersey who formed in early 2012, I believe. Off Camber play a noisey, discordant, and experimental style of music that incorporates elements of modern hardcore, punk, screamo as well as some cool 90's Ebullition style hardcore thrown in for good measure. The band features off- kilter/spastic guitar with really cool female vocals. I get influences ranging from 90's Ebullition bands such as Torches To Rome, Bread And Circuits, and Yaphett Kotto to more modern bands such as Beau Navire and Mahria. The four songs on the band's debut EP entitled Cat. 4 Upgrade make for a great listen and are over in just about five minutes. Off Camber makes for a chaotic and volatile listen. Great stuff. Enjoy! -Chris (elementaryrevolt)

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Gnarwolves - 2012 CRU

Band : Gnarwolves

Album : CRU

Release Year : 2012

Genre : Hardcore | Punk

Tracklist :

1. History Is Bunk
2. We Want The Whip
3. Community, Stability, Identity
4. A Gram Is Better Than A Damn
5. Oh, Brave New World!
6. Coffee

Six tracks of gruff pop punk from the best new band in the UK. Perfect party summer record that will appeal for fans of Daytrader, Title Fight, Bangers.

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Caust - 2012 Mass Graves (We Would Be Better Off)

Band : Caust

Album : Mass Graves (We Would Be Better Off)

Release Year : 2012

Genre : Screamo | Crust | Punk

Tracklist :

1. Autosacrifice
2. Your Father Gave You Good Advice
3. Sallekhana
4. I Am Howard Beale
5. For Myself
6. Beginning
7. Book Burner

Northern Virginia based hardcore-screamo act Caust just self released their debut EP Mass Graves (We Would Be Better Off), and it’s really great record from the band. Caust is still relatively new to the scene, but they’ve been making waves with their emotional live performances that have their fans going. This EP is raw, energetic, and is definitely something you want to listen to. You can hear a lot of different influences here, but it’s safe to say those who like bands such as Orchid, Touche Amore and other bands of this nature will feel right at home. -underthegunriview

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Sirs - 2012 Sirs

Band : Sirs

Album : Sirs

Release Year : 2012

Genre : Indie | Emo | Punk

Tracklist :

1.) Early Riser
2.) Parading
3.) King's English
4.) Backscratcher
5.) Like Father, Like Son
6.) Eye for an Answer
7.) Crossbows and Arrows
8.) Left to Our Own Devices

Sirs is a four-piece punk band from upstate New York. Formed in 2009 after meeting at school, original members consisted of Justin Jurgens, Dave Benton, Kyle Seely and Hart Seely. They released a six-song EP Vas Deferens in may of 2010. After a summer tour, Dave left the band and was soon succeeded by Mike Caridi. They then released a split 7” in December 2010 with Chalk Talk and their first Topshelf release in 2011 with run, WALK! (Holy Roar Records). They are anticipating their firs full-length release in July 2012. Primary musical influences include The Band, Anti-Nowhere League and Electric Light Orchestra.

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Archers and Arrows - 2010 S/T

Band : Archers and Arrows

Album : Archers and Arrows

Release Year : 2010

Genre : Hardcore | Punk

Tracklist :

01.It's so Cool, We Will Die All Together
02.The Support
03.Swan Song
04.Truncated Humanism
05.The Young Carpetbaggers

Switzerland’s Archers and Arrows are not what’d you’d expect from this notoriously peaceful and passive country. Melding elements of punk rock, hardcore and indie, this new group blares out edgy, triumphant riffs and shouts in the vein of bands such as Hot Water Music, The Lawrence arms or Latterman. Their debut self-titled EP was met with many positive reviews which quickly garnered the band airtime on Swiss national radio satiation, Couleur 3. Thus far the guys have played shows with renowned international groups the likes of The Get Up Kids, Roger Miret (Agnostic Front), Burning Heads, Polar Bear Club and Man Overboard to name a few.

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Ruptures - 2012 D∑CΔ

Band : Ruptures

Album : D∑CΔ
Release Year : 2012

Genre : Hardcore | Punk | Screamo

 

Tracklist :

 1. DECA
2. JUNEGLOOM
3. RIZE
4. MECA
5. LACK
6. KILOS
7. CIRCLES
8. PRONTO
9. UPPER

Well, this is Ruptures new album called "D?C?". 9 tracks with straight hardcore/punk sound. This album is more more agressive than Adormidera, and also more scream and experiment. I really love this band since the first time i listen to them, they have their own sound, and i can't compare it to anything else. So, if you haven't check out this album, you better do it right now, cause it's so fucking good. Enjoy, and don't forget to support the band!!!

 

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Black Kites - 2012 The Last Three Songs

Band : Black Kites

Album : The Last Three Songs

Release Year : 2012

Genre : Hardcore | Punk | Screamo

Tracklist :

1.Trauma   
2.Cheap Death   
3.Your Turn

This is the final song from them!! After coming home from Europe, they wrote three final songs and thought it a shame to not share them with the world. So, approaching the eve of our demise, here they are for you to enjoy!!!

The Long Goodbye
"Come March of 2012, Black Kites will have cause to acknowledge two important milestones; the first is that the band will have been together for four years, and the second is that March will mark the end of Black Kites. "Why? WHY?!" approximately eight people will type furiously into their keyboards. Well, our lives have changed quite a lot since we started this band in pretty significant ways. What came so naturally and easy to us once does not come so easily anymore and, as we are men unafraid to appraise a situation for what it is, we have decided to put to rest this part of our lives and march bravely into the future.

I think it's important to note that we accomplished quite a lot for a group of three dudes from New Jersey. We recorded a healthy chunk of music, we played (perhaps literally) a million shows, we toured all over one quadrant of this country and almost all of western Europe, and we met some pretty incredible people along the way; people who gave us more help and support than was ever called for, and given unasked. So for those eight people who are shaken and upset, think fondly of our times together and make some plans to be with us at the end.

Now, details are shaky as of now, but we plan to play a final show in March with a healthy host of bands that have been with us for the long-haul. We plan to have a zine with us at the show which will contain a discography CD that includes the last three songs we have written. We plan to make long-winded speeches onstage about the importance of friendship and cooperative effort and the everyday "fight" to secure some small place of comfort in this fucked up world...

But all that comes later, and we'll know more as soon as the moments of importance are upon us.

Until those moments...

Love and Respect,
Jay and Black Kites "

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Ceremony - 2012 Zoo

Band : Ceremony

Album : Zoo

Release Year : 2012

Genre : Hardcore | Punk

Tracklist :

1. Hysteria
2. Citizen
3. Repeating The Circle
4. World Blue
5. Quarantine
6. Brace Yourself
7. Adult
8. Hotel
9. Ordinary People
10. Nosebleed
11. Community Service
12. Video

Ceremony are a punk band from Rohnert Park, California, just outside of San Francisco. Their three albums on the Deathwish and Bridge 9 labels are widely seen as the most compelling, unusual and progressive hardcore of the last five years.For their Matador debut Zoo, produced by John Goodmanson (Blood Brothers, Sleater-Kinney, Girls, Weezer), the band have refined their jagged sound while continuing to pursue themes of exurban alienation and confinement.
Zoo explores punk and post-punk traditions: the rhythm section remains as tense and propulsive as ever, while guitarist Anthony Anzaldo moves with ease from ringing power chords to stealthy leads reminiscent of Gang of Four and The Cramps. Ross Farrar’s future primitive vocals sometimes recall Pink Flagor Metal Box, ranging from a melodic howl to a muttered incantation. The result is gripping and indelible.

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Various Artists - 2012 Real Screamo Compilation Vol. 2

Band : Various Artists

Album : Real Screamo Compilation Vol. 2

Release Year : 2012

Genre : Emo | Screamo | Hardcore | Punk

 

Tracklist :

1. (ache/emelie) || An Apparition Towards Compassionate Living
2. Barrow || Stretching Arms, Shaking Hands
3. Battleships || Hearts Grow Cold In December (Handguns)
4. Body of Wasps || I Find A Bridge Near The Port
5. Brain Fever || Falling Apartments
6. Caesura || Untitled I
7. Cassus || Two Days Before The Day After Tomorrow
8. Caust || A Smoker’s Lair
9. Choirs || Pallbearer
10. CityCop || Street Kings
11. Coalspur || Hegel Exercises
12. ComaRegalia || You Goldly Glow Where Snowmen Have Longed Ashore
13. Daïtro || Part II
14. Detroit || Pills
15. Eris Flies Tonight || Grim
16. For This World Is Hollow And These Hands Have Touched The Sky || Ceremony
17. GNATS || Hell Above
18. Good Teeth/Gold Teeth || 43.941°N. / -83.271°W.
19. Heart On My Sleeve || Assassin Limp-Wristed and Shy
20. I See A Giant || Deckchair
21. Iselia || Great Kharlan
22. Kodama || Let’s Change Sweaters
23. The Measure Of || Battles Are Never Won
24. Miles West || One Day Your Heart Will Explode
25. Our Spring Will Come || Her Pale Hand
26. Pathos || Summer
27. Pilot Episode || Believe
28. Raccoon City Police Department || The Loved Ones
29. Ravachol || Meinhof
30. Remise || Salvatore
31. ¡Silencio, Ahora, Silencio! || Eso Que No Hay Será Si Nosotros Lo Hacemos Ser
32. Sinews || Untitled III
33. Todos Caerán || The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle
34. Vowel || She Was An Air Traffic Controller
35. Wolf Shaped Clouds || Rotting Sea

 
 
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Leitkegel - 2011 LTKGL

Band : Leitkegel

Album : LTKGL

Release Year : 2011

Genre : Post-Hardcore | Post-Rock | Punk

 

Tracklist :

01 Auf dem Holzweg was vergessen
02 Ein Tag im Oktober
03 Ein Tag im Oktober -Andreas Hollywood Bacon Lightpegel Remix-

Leitkegel is new band from Essen, Germany. They playing a post-hardcore sound with post-rock and punk influence and scream on the vocal. It's 2 songs only on this EP plus 1 remix song which is so fucking nice, the style of the music and the vocal is little bit reminds me to The Shape of Punk to Come, very interesting, and you should check them out now!!!

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AFI - 2003 Sing The Sorrow (UK Version)

Band : AFI

Album : Sing The Sorrow (UK Version)

Release Year : 2003

Genre : Punk | Post-Punk | Emo

Tracklist :

01 Miseria Cantare_ The Beginning
02 The Leaving Song Pt. II
03 Bleed Black
04 Silver and Cold
05 Dancing Through Sunday
06 Girl's Not Grey
07 Death of Seasons
08 The Great Disappointment
09 Paper Airplanes (Makeshift Wings)
10 This Celluloid Dream
11 The Leaving Song
12 ...but home is nowhere
13 This Time Imperfect
14 Synesthesia
15 Now the World

Sing the Sorrow is considerably different than the band's earlier material, which heavily revolved around the hardcore punk genre. Although Davey Havok's shouts remain intact, the sound shifts towards alternative rock, characterized by more elaborate production, slower tempos, and pieces of industrial music. The album includes experimental segments as well, featuring the inclusion of a spoken word poem accompanied by piano keys and the hidden track "This Time Imperfect", both intertwined within the last track on the album.

It ranked #77 in the October 2006 issue of Guitar World magazine's List of the 100 Greatest Guitar Albums of All Time. The album's lead single "Girl's Not Grey" received a 2003 VMA for the 'Best MTV2 Music Video' category. The track is also a playable track on the video game Rock Band 2, and a downloadable track for the video game Guitar Hero 5 and iPhone/iPod touch application Tap Tap Revenge. "The Leaving Song Pt. II" was also made available as downloadable content for the Rock Band series. "Dancing Through Sunday" was featured as a playable track in the video game Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock.

The album was released with three different covers, featuring different colors for the logo and text. The colors were red, silver and black. The original cover features red artwork. Several of the first pressings in the United States and United Kingdom featured the silver cover, but the pressings are now rare and out of print, although the digital version of Sing the Sorrow among iTunes still features the silver artwork. The black cover was solely available at performing shows within the United States tour following the album's release, and through the Despair Faction's online store as well. The black cover is now rare and out of print, with only 2,500 copies in circulation.

All versions of the back cover feature a small encircled picture. The picture is of an ocean horizon, a reference to the artwork of AFI's fourth studio album Black Sails in the Sunset. Although the album was released through DreamWorks Records, a logo of Nitro Records is found on the back cover of all versions, AFI's previous record label. The second to last page of the album booklet features a small picture of a rabbit with the phrase "Rabbits are Roadkill" written next to it, a reference to the song "Rabbits are Roadkill on Rt. 37", recorded during the Sing the Sorrow sessions and released in 2005.

International versions of the album use different artwork on the album label. Often contain a picture of an inverted octopus whilst other contain a foraminifer or a dead bird. All of the pictures are taken from the book Animals by Jim Harter. Some versions, including the Ukrainian edition, feature no artwork on the album label, and have inconsistent cover artwork from other versions.

Critical response to Sing the Sorrow was very positive. The review aggregator Metacritic scored the album a 81 out of 100, based on 11 reviews, with the mention of "Universal Acclaim". E! Online called it " well-crafted mix of hardcore bluster, determined melody and anthemic grandness that boasts depth and texture rarely heard from the Warped Tour ilk." Alternative Press awarded the album a perfect score, saying that, "Sing the Sorrow soars with the kind of melodies hit singles are made of, yet it somehow persists with AFI's esoteric darkness." Allmusic awarded the album 4 out of 5 stars and wrote: "Emerging in early 2003 with Sing the Sorrow, it's clear the molting process AFI began with Black Sails in Sunset is complete," and concluded that, "Whatever factions of the band's longterm fans might think of their major-label affiliation, Sing the Sorrow represents a coalescing of the band's sound." Rolling Stone awarded the album a 4 out of 5, claiming that "Sing the Sorrow is not exactly a concept album, but it does have a singleness of dark purpose that builds in momentum as the disc progresses." In further support, The New York Times rated Sing the Sorrow as the tenth-best album of 2003. Conversely, Entertainment Weekly awarded the album a 'D,' commenting that "The songs combine the most pretentious and overworked elements of their influences."

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Bad Brains - 1983 Rock For Light

Band : Bad Brains

Album : Rock For Light

Release Year : 1983

Genre : Hardcore | Punk | Reggae

Tracklist :

Side A
1. "Coptic Times"
2. "Attitude"
3. "We Will Not"
4. "Sailin' On"
5. "Rally 'Round Jah Throne"
6. "Right Brigade"
7. "F.V.K."
8. "Riot Squad"
9. "The Meek Shall Inherit the Earth"

Side B
1. "Joshua's Song"
2. "Banned in D.C."
3. "How Low Can a Punk Get?"
4. "Big Takeover"
5. "I and I Survive"
6. "Destroy Babylon"
7. "Rock for Light"
8. "At the Movies"

Rock for Light is the second official full-length album by hardcore punk pioneers Bad Brains. It was produced by Ric Ocasek of The Cars. The 1991 re-issue was remixed by Ocasek and bass player Darryl Jenifer. The re-issued version has some extra tracks, an altered track order, significantly different mixes and, on most tracks, a speed increase of the master which results in a raising of the pitch by one-half step.

The album contains a number of re-recorded songs from the band's first album, Bad Brains, released the previous year, as well as a number of new hardcore punk and reggae tracks. It was the last Bad Brains album to feature only these two styles of music, as the band eventually experimented with funk, soul and heavy metal.

It was the band's last album for three years as Bad Brains broke up after its release, the first of several such break-ups during their career.

The original mix is only available on the out-of-print PVC Records version. However, some of the original mixes appear on the recent Banned in D.C. compilation.

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Saves the Day - 2011 Daytrotter Session

Band : Saves the Day

Album : Daytrotter Session

Release Year : 2011

Genre : Pop Punk | Punk | Emo

Tracklist :

1 Daytrotter
2 Freakish
3 Deranged & Desperate
4 Tomorrow Too Late
5 O

It takes a lot to get it right. And by it, we mean everything or we mean some things - just enough things to make it seem like everything. There are moments that you toast to and then there are those that were utter flops. You don't want to think about them ever again, you don't want to see them replayed back for you and you wish that you could just plain forget - one clean whitewashing right over them. The ones that we toast are those rare birds. We treat them with the utmost reverence, with big eyes and awe. They are the ones that calm our jitters and keep us from breaking out into hives at the thought of our age, our current loneliness and our emotional resume.

Chris Conley, the lead singer for the legendary New Jersey emo band Saves The Day, knows his way around the complexities of getting it right. He's had himself his fair share of freakouts, and then some. He's made a point of writing about these with candor and in such details that almost make the moments more vibrant and alive on paper than they might have been when they were being originally experienced. His songs are the wellsprings of emotions and thoughts that weren't quite formulated yet when he was in the heat of them. The buds for the prose were there, getting knocked against his walls, getting torn up, getting encouraged, getting discouraged and then suddenly finding themselves left out in an abandoned room, panting heavy breaths and wiping at that little sprig of dried blood at the corner of the mouth or at the base of an ear. They're left there wondering what in the hell just happened and why does whatever it is feel so hollow?

Conley writes from the perspective of someone who is helplessly human. Everyone should write from this place - if they were genuine - but not enough do. To be helplessly human is to admit to some form of defeat, knowing full well that, while capable of a lot, you're incapable of even more than you could ever imagine and you're just going to have to live with that. It's all easier said than done and that's where the real struggles come in. It's never easy to realize that most things are designed to be hard and you're just going to have to deal with them. It's not easy to realize that you're the way you are and most others aren't like you. You're not going to be compatible with most people and that can be fractious and ugly. Saves The Day has always trafficked in the very blood, guts and bones way that we are as people. We live, we bleed and cry and love and laugh a lot and then - at some point - we die. There are all kinds of variations, those wrinkles that make certain aspects of those things better or worse, but that's about all there is out there and we either adapt or cope. In one of his older songs - "Freakish," from 2001's "Stay What You Are" - Conley sings one of his most famous lines, "The only thing I know is awkward silence." It's a beautiful badge of insecurity and it's long been his coat of arms. The awkward silence will always be there in some form. It lives and it bleeds, right there alongside of us. -Sean Moeller

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H2O - 2011 D.C. EP

Band : H2O

Album : Don't Forget Your Roots

Release Year : 2011

Genre : Melodic | Hardcore | Punk

Tracklist :

01 Safe (Dag Nasty)
02 Said Gun (Embrace)
03 Understand (Government Issue)

H2O has been a mainstay in hardcore and punk since their inception back in 1995 and have had many influences along the way. The band is thrilled to pay homage to those influential artists by covering their songs on the forthcoming album, Don’t Forget Your Roots, which will be available from Bridge Nine Records along with three special, region-specific 7” records released to complement the full-length. These three cover songs from H2O were picked to represent DC: “Safe” by DAG NASTY, “Said Gun” by EMBRACE, and “Understand” by GOVERNMENT ISSUE.

 

 

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Victims Family - 1995 4 Great Thrash Songs

Band : Victims Family

Album : 4 Great Thrash Songs

Release Year :1995

Genre : Punk | Thrash | Jazzcore | Experimental

Tracklist :

1 Supermarket Nightmare
2 Nirvana
3 Yeah!
4 Me Vs Everything
5 Creepy People
6 August 6th
7 In a Nutshell
8 Mousetrap
9 Nopalitos
10 God, Jerry and the PMRC
11 Product
12 Baklava
13 Ugly Thing
14 Bad Karma
15 I'm So Lost
16 Song X
17 Sinatra Mantra
18 Anti-Satan Song for Mom
19 Naive Children
20 Drink the Kool-Aid
21 World War IX
22 George Benson
23 Liars, Pigs, and Thieves

Victim's Family are a talented California musical trio that have been around since the mid-80s. Well, two-thirds of the band have stuck it out that long anyway (guitarist/vocalist Ralph Spight and bassist Larry Boothroyd). Many drummers have come and gone. Currently, Dave Gleza (ex of My Name) pounds the skins and hopefully he'll be doing so for some time to come.

From the outset, VF have made it obvious that they can and will do whatever they want musically. Possessing the chops and skills of multiple musical genres, Ralph, Larry and the gang have effortlessly blended their punk rock sound (and ethos) with jazz, blues, funk, garage, psychedelia and good old fashioned rock 'n' roll. Early on, they focused more on jamming and venting than on writing, but over the years their song-writing skills did catch up to their excellent technical expertise. Alternative Tentacles was smart to snatch them up in the early '90s and never let go. VF fits wonderfully into that label's catalog of the real and the weird. I recently trawled the VF (et al.) catalog in order to indentify their finest 80 minutes of music for a compilation CD and, let me tell you... the music on that disc stands up majestically against anything from the past 20 years calling itself punk, rock, or fusion. In addition, I remember counting no less than three VF (et al.) releases among the top albums of their respective years (1994's Headache Remedy; 1998's Crowd Repellent; and 2001's Apocalicious).

In the great musical petrie dish, VF reminds me of Dead Kennedys (lyrically); Minor Threat and Stäläg 13 (musically, early on); Voivod (fusion-wise going into the '90s); and Primus and NoMeansNo (funky transitionally). Do yourself a favor and explore the Victims Family continuum if you hain't already.

This is not an EP (as allmusic.com and other websites would have you believe)! This here "posthumous" release is a full-length live recording of Victims Family's last show before calling it quits and morphing into SFC. It's recorded live in Europe's very own city of sin known as Amsterdam (as opposed to the U.S. "city of sin" called Las Vegas which is really only Disneyland with free booze, gambling, and dying pop stars. C'mon! Where's the reefer? The hallucinogens? How about a Red Light District? A'dam's gotcha beat LV!!) FGTS has great song selection going for it drawing equally from all prior albums. Many of these tracks sounded just okay (bordering on ho-hum) in their studio incarnations... I personally wouldn't have picked some of them for a live show. But these very same songs become undeniably invigorated when infused with VF's live performance energy. 'Me vs. Everything,' 'Product' and 'Supermarket Nightmare' come to mind immediately. We're talking a Bruce Banner as opposed to Incredible Hulk level of difference here folks... It's like they doused these songs with gamma rays before going on stage! Did I mention the recording quality and overall sound mix are both excellent? Play this one loud.

Unless you have a bootleg of some kind, this is the only place you'll find VF's unflattering ode to Frank, 'Sinatra Mantra'. And, as most of the band's pre-Alternative Tentacles stuff is out-of-print in the States, this may be the only place to hear 'Song X,' 'George Benson,' 'God, Jerry and the PMRC' and nine other tunes from the first three albums.

The title, Four Great Thrash Songs, comes from an angry letter sent to the band informing them they "suck" and only have "four great thrash songs and that's it". -Raptorial

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H2O - 2011 Don't Forget Your Roots

Band : H2O

Album : Don't Forget Your Roots

Release Year : 2011

Genre : Melodic | Hardcore | Punk

Tracklist :

 01. Attitude (Bad Brains)
02. Satyagraha (7 Seconds)
03. Pride (Madball)
04. Get The Time (Descendents)
05. Said Gun (Embrace)
06. I Wanna Live (Ramones)
07. Cats and Dogs (Gorilla Biscuits)
08. Someday I Suppose (The Mighty Mighty Bosstones)
09. Journey To The End Of The East Bay (Rancid)
10. Safe (Dag Nasty)
11. Sick Boy (Social Distortion)
12. Friends Like You (Sick Of It All)
13. Train in Vain (The Clash)
14. Scared (Verbal Assault)
15. Don't Forget The Struggle, Don't Forget The Streets... (Warzone)

Tossing up punk rock's ubiquitous "go!" comes as second nature to NYHC band H2O as rehashing the notion of a “positive mental attitude." Look again, and the two-letter word symbolizes that Toby Morse and his bandmates are quite the death defying bunch. Not in that Cyclops laser beam shootout kind of way, but in that way where an aging band continues to release albums with a seemingly worn yet medallion worthy motto: "still here, still here, after all these fucking years." Since 1995, that H2O optimism has blitzed vanity tainted scenes leaving no shirt un-clutched. Despite one's survival luck, however, covering 14 songs can be self-flagellating--- like Punk Goes Pop volumes or nondescript bands trespassing into the best-left-alone territories of Adele. But to add another positive side to H2O's resume, they've shared stages with 80% of the selected bands. Thus Don't Forget Your Roots, in its limited lyrical tweaks and stunts, is nothing more than their pulpit of fidelity to the genre without the blindfolds.

Slight dichotomies, understandably, are the album's defining feature: a tame organ ballad vs H2O's upbeat rocker on Ramones' "I Wanna Live"; the bat-shit berserk H.R. swapped out for subdued Toby Morse vocals on Bad Brains' "Attitude"; the grand brass backdrop on Mighty Mighty Bosstones' "Someday I Suppose" anti-climatically swapped out for Todd Morse's guitar leads; melody entwined bootstraps rock vs Rusty Pistachio triplet guitar chugs and heavy duty gang vocals on Social Distortion's "Sick Boy". Two of the best covers on the record are a near resurrection of H2O's Go--- Embrace's "Said Gun" and Dag Nasty's "Safe"--- making room for the band's trademark bouncy harmonies. The H2O aesthetic remains unscathed, in its recognizable style of grit above glitz, and clamor minus the glamor.

Morse's limited range only goes so far, and age once again proves to be a toll taker. Even so, his familiar "school one knucklehead at a time" tone is bullet spitfire. Guitarists Todd Morse and Pistachio are a missing links squad who attempt to fill in diverse parts from the originals through sustained leads or fractionally-modified riffs, while the drummer and bassist go into tag team mode for a poppy output. No song is pristinely whitewashed for a hot tub full of Benjamins, nor do any walk on eggshells to satisfy the listener's nostalgic urges. As far as the "still here" quintet is concerned, unfiltered and straight-forward are their first and middle names. The reason Morse doesn't go full blown HR ballistic, for example, is to defiantly puppeteer the H2O aesthetic. Don't Forget Your Roots grabs the band's unshakable 16-year attitude to shape itself into a brick-wall tribute, leaving the stigma of covers for actors and impersonators.

So even when H2O don't push limits, they're carrying a mirror at all times. All the finger pointing and banter and blare on the album are the vines and roots from the originals, although some walk a fine line between skippy and skippable where true umph is due. But as a whole, it's quite the switchblade that edges more nicks in the punk rock family tree than any steady hand could. -Dre Okorley

 

 

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Brain Floss - 2002 About Us

Band : Brain Floss

Album : About Us

Release Year : 2002

Genre : Melodic | Punk

 

Tracklist :

01. Story Of My-Ex
02. Sing It Loud
03. All Tts Gone
04. Normal Guy
05. Drunk
06. Mission Complete
07. Sudah Pergi
08. Two Of My Best Friends
09. Star Track
10. Crazy Town
11. Awaken
12. I Wish I Know (The Next Story Of My-Ex)

A long forgotten local band, i remember how much i love this album, rewind it again and again on my tape. After almost 10 years since then, i still remember every lyrics on it. This album is masterpiece in the punk scene here. This band is fucking awesome, they're fast, they're techical, they really know how to play a good punk!!

"BRAIN FLOSS was formed in 1998. Basicly we're just a punk band who try to create our own music that our feelings and thoughts about life based on our own experience..we already made our first album entitled "About Us" (released by threechords/re-released by lowlife record) in the year 2002..after our first album was released, in the year 2005 we put our single entitled "Hilang Semua" to join a compilation from simpletonmelodiesrecords entitled "simple tone from simpletonmelodiesrecords"."

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