venerdì 30 giugno 2017

BANNLYST interview 1985

While looking for something else, I've stumbled into this old interview with Bannlyst. One of the best norwegian hardcore band ever. Interview taken from Guilty Face'zine#1 from 1985

venerdì 23 giugno 2017

Hombre: Oveja Negra Del Universo

Do obscure records still exist in 2017? For the better or worse, long gone are the days when a serious effort, time and lots of dedication were essential to  build a decent underground music knowledge. Now every goddamn record is virtually just a few clicks away from you. At this point, the concept of "obscure releases" must be completely reconsidered. And the mere fact that Nemesis "hombre: oveja negra del universo" 7" (originally self-released by the band back in 1987) has just been repressed, would probably answer to my question. If such a forgotten gem from Medellin got the repress treatment, even if in the limited quantity of 300 copies, it means there's a market for it. What once was a well-hidden secret among the collector nerds, now has been democratized for the masses. If this means I can no longer dream to find an OG first press for cheap, then I should be grateful to Epidemia Records for this reissue. Nemesis was a short lived band from Medellin that fits perfectly the ultrametal parameters. Think to a mix of Slayer & Celtic Frost, filter it via south american lo-fi metal production, and you got a solid release. Perhaps not on the same level of greatness of Parabellum, Reencarnacion or even Astaroth, but we're not too far from it. Apparently Epidemia also reprinted the band demo on cd but for some reasons I completely missed it. A must have for all the ultrametal and south american metal fans in general. But stay away if you can't deal with lo-fi production and tons of rawness!

giovedì 15 giugno 2017

The A.B.C.'s of Noisecore

A is for Anal, B is for Butt and C is for Cunts. Body cavities always had an important role in naming noisecore bands. Glad to see new bands keeping this important tradition healthy & alive. Here we got indeed Cunts from japan sharing a slab of wax with Anal Butt from USA. SPHC delivers again some noisecore at its best (or worst, it just depends on your point of view). Cunts from tokyo have been around for over a decade and they are part of that peculiar japanese tradition of making noisecore with only vocals delivered via a special microphone that also unleashes a wall of feedback noise & drums. Nikudorei and World indeed immediately come to mind while listening to their side. If noisecore is already a minimalist style, Cunts reduced it to its mere bones. An aural assault that's the equivalent of a caveman hitting a skull with some femurs while simultaneously screaming his guts out. Simply brilliant. Anal Butt from baltimore, who of course won the prize for the best band name ever, are more traditional. Stick clicks, blast beats and noise for 10 or even less seconds. Repeat it for a copious amount of time, close the record with a hardcore stomper, et voilà. We got a masterpiece. No metallic bullshit here, just plain ol'noisecore the way it's supposed to be played, like the forefathers of the genre taught us almost 30 years ago. No song titles for both bands, a cover that would embarrass your girlfriend (or should I better say your mom, since chances you got a girlfriend while listening to this kind of stuff are close to zero) make this even more a modern classic. Considering that it's the debut on vinyl for both bands, I got high expectations for the future! Only 300 pressed.