MINDGRINDER

Looking for Maryland/DC based contributors.

2011-06-14T16:52:00.002-04:00

We are currently looking to expand our contributor output here a bit at MINDGRINDER and need writers based in the mid-atlantic region to help out with album reviews and show spots. Experience with HTML and web design is a major plus. Contact here if interested.

--fred

WMUC Budget Undercut; Help If You Can

2011-04-21T17:50:00.000-04:00

Repost from FB page:

so, our mom WMUC got undercut big time in the University's budget for this upcoming fiscal year (by about 20K), and will have to shut down if it can't raise an alternate means of funding. WMUC is one of the oldest independent radio stations on the East coast, as well as one of the very few still broadcasting on an FM band, yadda yadda....point is there's a lot of history in that station and all the cool stuff we got to do and all the awesome folks we met through MINDGRINDER would have been impossible without WMUC. Donate here to make sure the same opportunities that were available to us during our time on the air are still there for the next batch of rugrats

To donate DIRECTLY to WMUC follow this link.

LAST MINDGRINDER EVER?! Tonight at 10PM EST time on WMUCRADIO.COM

2010-12-14T18:08:00.002-05:00

I know I'm a lying piece of shit when it comes to our posting ambitions but I would reaaaalllllyyyy appreciate it if some of you tuned into the show tonight...which may be the last airing of our show on WMUC. Tune in, call in (301.314.8800) with requests/banter, help us close out with a bang rather than a pathetic little death rattle. The show is tonight at 10PM Eastern time on wmucradio.com.

Playlists from this semester
WMUC Live Internet Stream

--fred

Insect Warfare - Endless Execution Thru Violent Resitution + Carcass Grinder Split tracks

2010-11-05T21:36:00.006-04:00

More jams for the grindfreaks with an insatiable appetite for blood-beats...here's my favorite Insect Warfare record. There's kind of a Hatred Surge sound on this one, especially on the initial track 'Repulsed By Radiation'. Also, there's a pretty gnarly Razor cover at the end. Check out Insect Warfare's tracks from their split with Carcass Grinder too.

Insect Warfare - Endless Execution Thru Violent Restitution
Insect Warfare - Carcass Grinder Split (Insect Warfare Tracks)

--fred

Slaughter Strike - Demo

2010-11-05T20:39:00.005-04:00

Sorry for the lapse in posts here. whoops.

This is Slaughter Strike (members of The Endless Blockade and RAMMER) from Canada.

Vocals-wise the band sounds JUST like RAMMER, but the similarities between the two bands stop there. To be blunt, the hard-headed tech-death-thrash style of RAMMER doesn't really bleed over too much here--which is not a bad thing. Slaughter Strike is well balanced between Death Metal and The Endless Blockade's brand of grindcore (real grindcore) on the demo...they deliver a pretty vicious grind attack with some grimy breakdowns here and there. It's everything you ever could have hoped for from this pair-up.

Slaughter Strike - Demo

They just released a record on Cyclopian Records, buy it herr

Also thanks to those of you who have still been sticking around since we stopped posting back in July. I'll try to post 2 or 3 things every week if I can manage it from this point on.

--fred

On The Air NOW til midnight (eastern time)

2010-08-31T22:32:00.002-04:00

stream online: http://wmucradio.com/wmuc-high.m3u

Update - New Radio Schedule

2010-08-27T15:51:00.004-04:00

Long time no update! It's been a pretty long fruitful summer full of job hunting and moving and now I feel like I finally have the time to get back up to pace with the blog and reboot the radio show for one more year. The schedule for WMUC's upcoming Autumn semester has been posted with MINDGRINDER re-taking Tuesdays at 10PM-12AM, our former timeslot that we held down from Fall 2008-Spring 2009. Unfortunately, Trey is no longer a permanent co-host on the show, but he, along with Hasan from Death By Hanger, is still a member on the blog, so hopefully their contributions will help alleviate some of the downtime in the next year. I'm still shopping around for some more people who might want to contribute to an already established blog, so if you're interested, shoot me an email. Anywho, thanks for the support from those of you that still visit the site and have added us on facebook. We'll be back soon with some tunes.

--fred

Mercenary Cockroach - Steps to Nowhere

2010-07-07T13:30:00.003-04:00

Fast bootyblaster grind from Croatia. For fans of Insect Warfare.

"RATATATATATATATATATATA URRRRRHHHHHHGGGGGGGHHHHHH"

Mercenary Cockroach - Steps to Nowhere

Love Battery - Dayglo

2010-04-22T17:59:00.003-04:00

In 1992, this band was the critic's darling for releasing this record, though they pretty much proved Trey's Theory of Psychedelic/Garage Influence; wait until naughties, when being a hippie is cool again. Much like The Screaming Trees (see above Theory) they pretty much toiled outside the mainstream while all their contemporaries went on to make millions, though they certainly had the requisite cult following of any decent band. They had Tommy Tillman of U-Men fame (or lack thereof), and at one point Dan Peters (Mudhoney) though he had long been replaced by Jason Finn when Dayglo came out. It's a solid release by a solid band and although their other releases pale in comparison, 1999's Confusion Au Go Go saw the triumphant return of Peters and another great record which turned out to be their swan song.

It wouldn't be here if it didn't carry our recommendation, so checks it out already.

Love Battery - Dayglo

Disclaimer: Trey's Theory of Psych/Garage Influence is not in anyway original or even true, probably. The writer just think's he's clever, but everyone knows he's a sociopath. Also, the first song hiccups a little near the end, sorryz!

Neurosis - Aberration EP / Short Wave Warfare

2010-03-12T20:25:00.007-05:00

Neurosis in their HxCx days; recorded and released a year before 'The Word As Law'.

Aberration EP

Tracklisting:
Nonsense
Self-Doubt
Pollution

Short Wave Warfare
(Live Album with recordings from 'Pain of Mind'/'Word As Law' tours)

Tracklisting:
Grey
Pollution
Common Inconsistencies
Black
Obsequious Obsolescence
Self-Doubt
Nonsense
Blisters
Shallow
To What End
Tomorrow's Reality
The Choice

--fred

Welcome Our New Member

2010-03-02T19:53:00.004-05:00

He has a beard, likes Celtic Frost with burritos, wears no pants and we've known him for close to a decade. Give him a warm welcome--more writers means more posts and less stupid shit.

--fred

Warsore - Brutal Reprisal + Re-Opened Wound

2010-03-02T11:57:00.005-05:00

Grimy old-school grind from Australia--for fans of Unholy Grave, Agathocles, Napalm Death, and the like:

Warsore - Brutal Reprisal
Warsore - Re-Opened Wound

--fred

Cro-Mags - Best Wishes + 1984 Demo

2010-03-02T11:33:00.004-05:00

Oof. Documentation of another great hardcore/crossover band biting the dust after they make jump over to Heavy Metal or, in this case, Thrash. This one will grow on you after awhile. Also included is their '84 demo which features most of the songs from Quarrel...I think it was released as 'Before the Quarrel' later on.

Cro-Mags - Best Wishes
Cro-Mags - 1984 Demo (Before the Quarrel)

--fred

Prong - Primitive Origins

2010-02-21T00:23:00.003-05:00

Before they became some terrible fucking cliche and a staple of WWF theme song mix-tapes, Prong was a pretty sick crossover thrash band:

Prong - Primitive Origins

--fred

Low Threat Profile - Self Titled 7"

2010-02-01T18:49:00.005-05:00

Self Titled 7" by Low Threat Profile (members of Crossed Out/Infest/Lack of Interest). Fast Hardcore packed into a 4 minute record...apparently took close to a decade for this to get released. You can pick it up at Celebrated Summer and probably a million places around the tubes for $15 or so.

Low Threat Profile - Self Titled

Also a heads up to those of you who like punk/grind but don't want to spend a shit-ton on CDs and records and whatnot (and don't mind the character that comes with cassettes), check out ThrashMouthRecords. I've already uploaded 4 or 5 tapes from their catalog, but you can get a handful of tapes for around 10 bucks with only 2 or 3 dollars shipping...all quality underground stuff. Plus, they just put out a GODSTOMPER/Dos Amigos split. They're good friendly dudes, check it out.

--fred

First Radio Show of 2010 Tonight!

2010-01-31T18:53:00.009-05:00

FIRST MINDGRINDER TONIGHT on WMUC (wmucradio.com)!

Grind, Crust, Thrash, Hardcore, and Sludge

Tune in at 9PM (eastern) til midnight here

Requests: (301)314-8800

Dale Crover - Drumb 7"

2009-12-25T17:20:00.004-05:00

I know some dude requested this here about a year ago...pretty much no one has a rip of this, so this is my christmas present to him and all of you.

This is Dale Crover's only legit solo release. It was released back in '96 with somewhere around 200-500 copies I'm pretty sure. Side A is Drums and Noise (Four Words), while Side B is Side A backwards (Sdraw Kcab). I ripped the record at both 45RPM and 33RPM, as I wasn't sure which was the right speed...but it sounds a hell of a lot more evil at 33. Included with the download are complete scans of the front, back, and inlay of the sleeve, as well as a scan of Dale's short-lived minizine "Drumb" (props to themelvins.net).

Dale Crover - Drumb 7"

Excerpt from Dale's Drumbzine:

Q: What has three legs and an a**h%!$ on top?
A: A drum throne.

Q: How do you know when a drummer is at the door?
A: The knock speeds up.
A: When you say come in, he comes in late.
A: By the domino's uniform.

Q: A drummer who can keep time, A drummer who can't keep time, and Santa Claus are walking down the street. A $50 bill blows by. Who gets it?
A: The drummer who can't keep time. The other 2 do not exist.

Enjoy and have a good christmas/break/whatever the fuck

--fred

BONUS:
Here are a few of Dale's efforts from the past twenty something years, including his Solo EP, released with the Melvins:

Melvins - Dale Crover EP
Melvins - Night Goat 7"
Porn (The Men Of) - Wine, Women and Song
NIRVANA - Live 8/20/1990 w/ Dale on drums
Shrinebuilder (w/Wino, Scott Kelly, and Al Cisneros)

POWERVIOLENCE and Hardcore Christmas Drop

2009-12-25T14:11:00.006-05:00

All Winners Here:

Noose - 2009 Demo (Winnipeg, Canada)
Eddie Brock - 2009 Demo ((superpowersviolence) from Baltimore)
Sylvester Staline - Gonna Spread Hard Drugs To Your Kids With the Royalties Gained From This... (France)
Kent Brockman - Crustcoreviolence EP (Germany)
I Decide - Spiking Drinks with Holy Water (DC Hardcore)

Old Familiars:
Magrudergrind / Sylvester Staline Split
Infest - Mankind 7"
Spazz / Floor Split
Hatred Surge - Isolated Human EP New EP!!

--fred (More later today)

Damage Digital

2009-12-22T19:48:00.005-05:00

Grindcore from the land of the rising sun and one of my favorites from the area--for fans of Discordance Axis and Napalm Death.

BLAST BEATS ON THE LOOSE:

Damage Digital - Moss

--fred

Noosebomb - Brainfood for the Braindead

2009-12-21T17:42:00.007-05:00

I assume that because you're on this blog you like bands like Noosebomb, so here's some Noosebomb. With two members from Grief, scratchy-throat vocals, grinding guitars, liberal use of samples and an overall lethargic tempo you pretty much know from the first song what you're getting in to, though elements of grind, d-beat, and straight up punk peek through. Fans of Grief certainly won't be disappointed.
Final Verdict: this is the kind of music I like to get drunk to.

Faction Disaster - 3 Minute EP (Tape)

2009-12-20T17:26:00.008-05:00

power-violence from Michigan; another thrashmouth release
(limited to 25 copies)

Tracks:
Shut the Fuck Up
Outrageous Decisions pt.2
Spastic Breakdancing
Mouth to Mouth Regurgitation
Smoke PCP and Kill Everyone in Sight

myspace

DOWNLOAD

(more tapes tomorrow)

--fred

Salome playing 'Master Failure' in NY

2009-12-20T01:22:00.003-05:00

RELEASE MORE RECORDS

Thorr's Hammer - Dommedagsnatt

2009-12-19T23:38:00.008-05:00

Another 'Southern Lord' treasure -- Those dudes from SUNN O))) team up with a norwegian exchange student to make some crushing doom jams. Heavy Monolithic Lumbering Sludgy stuff with a kind of subtle Black Sabbath vibe to it, backed with some deep-n-low growls mixed with chanting. 'Troll' is the fucking shit.

I just wish their name didn't sound like a slay-the-dragon-siege-the-castle type band. Like Hammerfall or something. I fucking hate that band.

Thorr's Hammer - Dommedagsnatt

--fred

Gorgonized Dorks/Dos Amigos Split Tape

2009-12-19T22:48:00.006-05:00

NOISE vs. power-violence
tape released on thrash-mouth records (buy here - 2 bucks)

GORGONIZED DORKS (senselessgrindingnoisefuckers) is
Katz Seki
Ben Agromosh

Tracks:
Blood Slab of Jazz

Dos Amigos (MiTB/GODSTOMPER style Grind-violence)

Tracks:
Mindnumbing Germophobia
IAm the Bastard IamGod
To Each His Own
CarlosRossiStorm
DIYPaperCuts
ISWEARTOGODithoughtshewasaTranny
RingwüürmPhantömLørd

DOWNLOAD

--fred

Kowloon Walled City - Gambling on the Richter Scale

2009-11-13T18:17:00.000-05:00

Kowloon Walled City is a band I never really got until recently. I heard their first EP and dug it...but only to the point of half-listening to the first few tracks, agreeing with a riff here and there then veering off to listen to something else.

Sentiments of the "ass-heavy", "low-end", and other popular buzzwords (or conjugations, whatever) used by people, including myself, to describe this band barely do justice to express what's special about this band, and more specifically, their new record Gambling on the Richter Scale. If you're familiar with their EP, think of this as the track 'Turning Into Bricks' expanded into eight tracks, heavy riffage and verse-trailing solos included.

Using the word "heavy" to describe their music may prove deceiving. The bar has been raised so high in music in terms of technical ability within the past decade that the definition of "heavy" has transformed from the indulgence of a slow complimentary solo to shitty soulless tech-grind breakdowns. It's debasing to say what they've created is simple...less technical songs display a different sort of musical ability than masturbatory solos and string fingering.

Compare their music to what Soundgarden was doing before they fizzled out in the mid-nineties. Dark, heavy, depressing kind of shit. The ability to conjure emotion with instrumentals is what defined their heaviness...and this stands as the same case for KWC. Track for track, this record is a slurry of voluminous thick spirited and urban-centric songs rooted by this strong backbone of murky music born by the many grit-toothed noise rock (and grunge) bands that came before them. Although, most of the tracks do embody this sort of slow dark-melodic sort of feel, they do indulge in the kind of heavy-flesh-grinding minimalist sludge comparable to Corrupted.

And that's just what makes KWC so attractive...they have this awesome dynamism that sounds great, but doesn't make their records incohesive. Check it out:

Kowloon Walled City - Gambling on the Richter Scale

(COME TO MARYLAND)

--fred

Churches Burn - Adversary

2009-11-08T15:44:00.001-05:00

Churches Burn are from Colombus, Ohio and don't have nearly as many fans as they should. They've got this killer bass-deep kinda tone that's covered in layers of filth and grime with some psych fringes here and there...they're pretty comparable to JAIL, but I like 'em a lot more.

Churches Burn - Adversary

Purity Control - Demo

2009-11-08T15:01:00.007-05:00

Straight-Edge p-violence from Toronto. Fast and Bass-Heavy...if there's such a thing as a brown note, they've found it. <---- (Edit - I'm saying this tape made me SHIT MY PANTS)

Buy their Cassette here.

Purity Control

Dry Clouds, Revolta, and Radamanthys live on WMUC tonight at 6PM-9PM EST

2009-11-01T14:35:00.006-05:00

Listen in live online (or on 88.1fm if you're in the College Park Area) to MINDGRINDER's 3rd Third Rail tonight at 6PM EST on wmucradio.com!

Dry Clouds - Old School emo-violence from Baltimore
Revolta - Thrash from the Chesapeake Bay Area
Radamanthys - Death/Thrash from Takoma Park

Listen live to WMUC here

--fred

TAD

2009-10-19T22:47:00.001-04:00

TAD, one my favorite bands and one of a many great bands that have gone largely unnoticed, existed from 89-99...birthing a total of 4 full length LPs and countless 7"s/LPs. Like most awesome bands, they now lie discarded to side, obscured from view by overrated releases from a bunch of other bands that don't really matter anymore.

Back in their initial years, they played alongside bands like Mudhoney, Soundgarden, Nirvana, among others. When touring with Nirvana in 89 out in Europe...they HEADLINED. People went to the gigs to see TAD, not Kurt Cobain's magical heroin caravan. Kurt Cobain had a falling out with the band in the following years, citing them as (paraphrased) "boneheaded grunge", even when the band had made clear signs of impending musical growth. Sure their final album, Infrared Riding Hood, was a cheesy, over-sentimental, poorly written piece of shit compared to 8-Way Santa and Inhaler, but fuck--it was different; I still enjoy it for what it is. Maybe if people threw a little more love their way back then, we would've gotten at least one more killer record from the band. Go back and listen to their single Kevorkian's Holiday. Listen to Demon's Seed off of Live Alien Broadcasts. That shit fucking rules; it breathes the same energy heard on 8-Way Santa but made it darker, even poppier to a certain extent, which isn't a bad thing at all. Had the band received more support, I have no doubt they would've had an eventual comeback.

TAD was dropped by their label in '93. They were picked up by another on a trial period after the release of Infrared Riding Hood. After terrible reception to the record, they were dropped from their label AGAIN, and left releasing singles with any independent label left that gave a damn. Attribute their demise to this or one too many years of the whole redneck shtick.

Why write about them now? It's 15 years too late for anyone to really start caring. This band embodied the spirit, the grime, and the filth that accreted to become the backbone of that fad that died once fuckheads like silverchair, pearl jam, and whatever over-generalized things, ran it in the ground, and kicked the shit out of it while it laid defenseless in it's toughest of times. This is a post invested in the hope that someone else will pick up the band's records, appreciate them for what they were, and stop over-generalizing something from 20 years ago that has only come to express the musical output of 4 or 5 shit bands in the public paradigm.

and so, I lay in front of you the majority of TAD's body of work:

1989/1990 Salt Lick/God's Balls
1991 - 8-Way Santa
1993 - Inhaler
1994 - Infrared Riding Hood

Banned by MTV in 1989:

Wood Goblins

Other TAD Posts
TAD (Salem) Post over at [shiny grey monotone]

--fred

Melvins - Three Albums You Already Have

2009-10-11T17:11:00.014-04:00

Here we are again, on the pre-ignition of another monday, and there's none more of an appropriate time for us to appreciate the Melvins. (MELVINS MONDAY!) That and I have more schoolwork I'm avoiding.

Prior to 93, the Melvins were anything but typical compared to their contemporaries from the region (see: grunge); they were sludge, they were metal, they were punk. When that whole dumb thing in the north-west corner happened...something changed. Bullhead wasn't too far removed from the formula we heard on Ozma--if anything it represented a transitional period. But in 1993, they veered off-course for better or worse.

The Melvins made a straight-ahead "rock" album, not unlike what everyone else was doing at the time. Were they cashing in? Were they taking the piss out of everyone else? It's not like they completely abandoned what they were doing before and turned to some contrived sound without reason; vestiges of their old style still soaked through in a few tracks (Hag Me, Copache, Set Me Straight, At the Stake, yadda yadda). What gets me about the whole change is that it's not like what they were doing on Ozma, Bullhead, and Eggnog was worn out or unoriginal...they fucking INVENTED sludge and played it for not even 5 years--then said fuck it--and moved on. Something so innovative, so new and fresh, although not all that accessible compared to other music, was at the very least THEIRS...and they just fucking threw it aside for other bands to pick up and march on with.

Really though, if they hadn't grown into a different genre of music, chances are their records would've ended up as stale, boring and unexciting as a Slayer or Cannibal Corpse release...the type of shit that only someone like Angry Pantera Kid would cum all over himself about. Or they could've suffered a slow painful death like TAD did from the mid to late nineties.

...nonetheless: whatever they were doing--they did it WELL, and that's what counts. Here's to 3 years of Mark D, solos, and KISS covers:

1993 - Houdini
1994 - Stoner Witch
1996 - Stag

--fred

Castrovalva

2009-10-09T04:46:00.006-04:00

It's nearly 5 o'clock, I've got another page to add to this fucking Shakespeare paper due in class later today at 2pm and I'm sitting here about to spend 30 minutes on a post why?

Castrovalva (UK) is a band I've been putting off for a good long while for no good reason besides from me being a lazy inactive asshole piece of shit. Point is, I finally sat down and listened all the way through their s/t mini album and am sitting here kind of dumbfounded that I, like a jackass, let this band slip by and sit on my hard drive without notice for like 3 fucking months. This band hemorrhages pure energy with the kind of determination only matched by bands like Lightning Bolt and Godstomper. Of course, I make these comparisons because they're fast as fuck and primarily a drums-n-bass kinda band.

...Alright, I'm going to use this really trite formula to describe this band: cram Sabot, GODSTOMPER, Lightning Bolt, and a tiny of MiTB into a blender, crank it up to bludgeon and you've got Castrovalva.

Castrovalva - S/T Mini Album

They're putting out a single with their new line-up titled "Thug Life"...preorder that here.

...and now it IS 5am. Fuuuuuuuck.

--fred

Insect Warfare - Evolved Into Obliteration

2009-10-05T20:03:00.005-04:00

Here's a new vinyl release adapted from their Demo CD that ran out of circulation shortly before the release of 'World Extermination'. Apparently some people like this more than the actual album...but that's probably because people get so damned sick of listening to the actual album (for instance: Grey, Nirvana, Black Flag). There's not a whole lot of difference I can hear between the demo and the final record, besides from the mix sounding a little dirtier (and the drums sounding a fuckload better). Nonetheless--a cool thing to have:

Insect Warfare - Evolved Into Obliteration 12"

--fred

Agathocles

2009-10-01T20:48:00.003-04:00

Mincecore (politically driven grindcore) based in Belgium. The whole album is carried by one badass blastbeat through this noisy grinding mess of palm muting, distortion, and throaty vocals...my kind of shit.

Agathocles - Humarrogance

--fred

WHITE SHIT - Sculpted Beef

2009-09-25T17:58:00.008-04:00

White Shit is mathematically calculated hardcore murder masterminded by guitarist Andy Coronado (Monorchild, Skull Kontrol, Wrangler Brutes), with Jared Warren on Vox and Coady Willis on Drums (Big Business). Been waiting for this for a loooong time:

White Shit - Sculpted Beef

Depressor - Splits and 7"s

2009-09-21T20:28:00.004-04:00

Depressor is Sludge-Thrash from ????. Info on this band is hard to come by...but half the fun in listening to music is finding it, which is very much the case when it comes to Depressor. I've ran across a few splits and 7"s of theirs, along with a record by the band that pre-existed Depressor; Charger (like a more driving-hardcore version of Depressor). Rest assured these are all drum-machine free (and the crustiest most awesome shit you'll hear in awhile):

Depressor
Self Titled 7"
Book of the Dead 7"
Depressor/Unholy Grave Split
Depressor/Agathocles Split

Charger - Wake Up! Call to Arms 7"

--fred

Flesh Parade - Kill Whitey 7" and Extended Version

2009-09-15T01:33:00.008-04:00

Apparently RELAPSE decided to release a Flesh Parade Comp. of the same name as their "Kill Whitey 7""...

Kill Whitey 7" (Vinyl)
Kill Whitey (Extra Demo Tracks)

GODSTOMPER - HEWHOCORRUPTS Split 7"

2009-09-14T19:53:00.005-04:00

Yeah, this is totally a thinly veiled reminder for you guys to listen to our radio show at 10pm. But hey...Bass&Drums cover of 'Scum'? Emo-crushin' tunes? Face-melting gritty ass grind? Blastbeats out your asshole with basslines that just won't quit?

Shit...are we even relevant anymore?

GODSTOMPER - HEWHOCORRUPTS Split 7"

--fred

Reality Comp. (Part 1)

2009-09-13T04:26:00.000-04:00

In response to smart-ass comments:

Reality 7"

Excruciating Terror - In Control
Lack of Interest - Impeached
Despise You - Copied Demise
Spazz - Gnome Servant
Crom - Hungry?
Man is the Bastard - Tomb Ride

source of power: Kick to Kill

Reality Part #2 Comp.

2009-09-13T00:38:00.013-04:00

Every single band you've ever really liked is on this compilation...and you know what else?

They're all broken up now.

(NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!)

Asshole Parade - Soldiers
Excrutiating Terror - Without Mercy
Dystopia - Backstabber
Infest - Cold Inside
Despise You - Memories of Tomorrow
Lack of Interest - No Sweat
Gasp - Planet Of The Apes
Suppression - Gangland Bodystak'em
Noothgrush - Encasing
NoComply - The Empire Kids
Spazz - Animal Liberation Now
Purgatoria - Infamous Deception
Man Is The Bastard - Untitled
Capitalist Casualties - Sentenced
Stapled Shut - Chavala
Enemy Soil - Common Ground
Evolved to Obliteration - Fucked up Asshole
Bad Acid Trip - Plate of Shrimp
C:### - Skidmark

Reality Part #2 Comp.

--fred

MINDGRINDER: First Show Tonight!

2009-09-07T20:51:00.003-04:00

First show of the semester tonight at 10pm eastern! Listen live with the player embedded above!

{Stoner, Sludge, Doom, Grind, Crust and Violence}

Giant Squid - The Icthyologist (2009)

2009-09-06T22:05:00.013-04:00

Giant Squid is doomy ocean-metal. Giant Squid is the band you desperately want to be playing over the loudspeakers at the aquarium if only they would let you put your CD in and not call security you mother-fuckers. Forget The Ocean Collective. Forget Isis's Oceanic. Forget Dethklok's Fish Album. This is the real deal.

I read an interview where their singer was talking about how reviewers always try to come up with a complicated and unique way to label their music. Well, good news for you guys. Mine is the right one, so you can all start using it immediately. Seriously, call your friends or something. OCEAN-METAL.

This album is really awesome actually, and improves significantly over their previous effort (Metridium Fields). I loved listening to it except when I got side-tracked and started listening to Madonna.

Lots of people said that Aaron Gregory’s vocals sounded like Serj Tankian on their first album. The comparison is still easily made (My dad made a reference to it when I played this for him for the first time) but I think the band has really done a lot to downplay the vocals and let the bass and guitar lines ebb and flow. See, oceans ebb and flow too. I’m a genius.

Personally, I thought Neonate from their first album was awesome. It was doomy and really catchy and had some really great male-female vocals. This important thing for me though was that it rocked pretty hard, which is something that can't be said for a good portion of The Icthyologist. Sure, the album is pretty heavy most of the time but I don't sense that fiery energy of the younger, less mature Giant Squid from Metridium Fields. However, by comparison to Neonate, the rest of Metridium Fields is not nearly as interesting with a few exceptions. The Icthyologist, in this case is better than it's predecessor because all the material is of excellent quality, and begets listening to the thing from start to finish in one sitting.

The lyrics in this thing are melodramatic, but also pretty gruesome and disturbing at times. As far as I can tell, all the songs are first person, from things like a boat captain to a dinosaur to a fish with a depressing slant to them. But hell, you'll never understand the lyrics anyway and they're not a highlight.

Ultimately, people will come to view Giant Squid as a pretentious band with their post-rock leanings, checkered shirts and box-frame glasses and string instruments. Get past that, and the occaisonal trough among the many peaks, and I think you'll find a unique and talanted band that's making interesting music in a crowded market.

I give it 4 squids out of 5, with a point off for calling the songs ridiculous latin fish names.

Myspace
Website

Carcinogen - Kure (Demo)

2009-09-04T22:27:00.000-04:00

Carcinogen existed in the early nineties and was a starting point for Dystopia bassist Todd and drummer Dino. They're commonly referred to as "Pre-Dystopia", as their demo offers a early look at the later band. As I see it, their demo is just as primordial, thrashy and grinding as Carcass' first record. If anyone has their promo, give me a shout.

Carcinogen - Kure (demo)

Dystopia Shits

--fred

MINDGRINDER: New Schedule (Revision)

2009-09-01T19:40:00.002-04:00

MINDGRINDER! Now on MONDAY evenings from 10pm-12am (eastern) starting NEXT week!

{Stoner, Sludge, Doom, Grind, Crust and Violence}

wmucradio.com

Mammoth Grinder - Extinction of Humanity

2009-08-30T22:41:00.004-04:00

Dirty ass thrash-punk from Texas played at rollicking-grindcore speed, minus the blastbeats. Thick as shit with solos galore:

Mammoth Grinder - Extinction of Humanity

--fred

Behold! The Monolith - Self Titled

2009-08-24T15:57:00.000-04:00

This marks the lumbering, calculated, and none too soon return of LA's battle-geared 'Monolith'.This release follows their crushing, tersely unnamed EP, and shows no hint of the Battlestag slowing down anytime soon.

Little has changed since we've last heard from 'Behold! The Monolith'; they're still the ravenous metallic sludge-trompers we encountered earlier this year...and then some. With this new outing, they've displayed, moreso than before, a dynamic adaption between calm, war, and utter turmoil that proves the band is geared for growth in the future...for the better. They blend the buzz and rumble of High on Fire and RWAKE, with the artful progressive roots of bands like Mastodon; ultimately displaying the capability and courage to put aside the sludgehammer and ponder upon the smoother guitar licks. But when they do get heavy...they're relentless.

Behold! The Monolith - Self Titled (320 kbps)

--fred

Nausea - Extinction

2009-08-20T02:13:00.003-04:00

Crust Punk from NYC's C-Squat back in the mid to late 80s through the early 90s. Loud, dark, angry, and righteous as fuck:

Nausea - Extinction

Downer Rock Genocide (Classic Rock Comp.)

2009-08-20T01:25:00.004-04:00

This is a collection of forgotten classic rock bands from the late 60s and early 70s, passed onto me from another blog, probably Sludge Swamp or the like. It's something for the many fans of groups like Deep Purple, Zeppelin, Floyd, Sabbath, or Blue Cheer who've hit the wall, as it were, and are looking for something "new" to listen to. Most of these are bands who've faded into obscurity post-70s (including the original 'Iron Maiden' and previously posted 'Red Dirt'). They're toughies to track down, even on blogger....if you happen to find any of their full albums, gimme a shout-out. Roots of sludge, stoner, and all things rock right here:

Downer Rock Genocide
Part 1
Part 2

--fred

Timebomb - The Full Wrath of the Slave

2009-08-04T16:52:00.007-04:00

"Italian, vegan straight edge, anarcho-communist black metal."

Timebomb is relatively unknown, and I can't dig up any information on them, besides from that catchy little tag I quoted above. While I can gather the Black Metal influence, from the tremolo-blastbeat-heavy interludes, this is more of a straight ahead thrash album than anything else (and pretty impressive for an album that came out in '97).

As I see it, they sound like a more organic, but equally heavy, Godflesh, mixed with the groove and thrash sensibilities of Sepultura.

Timebomb - The Full Wrath of the Slave

--fred

Brothers of the Sonic Cloth - Early Demos

2009-07-29T18:11:00.009-04:00

This band marks what I like to think of as the first real spiritual return to music for mammoth front-man Tad Doyle. The release of TAD's final album 'Infrared Riding Hood' was followed by a few years of uncertainty as members slowly dropped off to follow other projects and the powerful waves of the grunge movement started to recede from the banks of mainstream popularity. Kurt Danielson migrated off to France for a few years while Tad, after the release of his side project "Hog Molly", took a small hiatus from music and seemed to fade into obscurity. Many, as I did, probably assumed he had died from medical complications related to him brutally abusing his body during TADs reckless touring schedule from '89 to the mid-nineties.

Rest assured that Tad Doyle is alive and well, and now producing music with his new band 'Brothers of the Sonic Cloth'. 'Brothers' adapts a sound similar to Yob and The Christpunchers to Tad's natural songwriting talent, without sounding dated, and outmatching TAD in layers of grit and filth. They only produced 50 or so copies of their actual demo, for whatever reason, sometime last year. Tad has kept a close clamp down on the release on ANY of their material stating only:

We only made 50 copies of these beauties, and not a single copy more will leave hell and enter your little paws... this is because we think it's nice to have a very rare and limited collection of our first documented tracks with our new lineup. We brought and sold all 25 copies that we had available on our merch table, when we played Ash Street, last February 28th. We will have the remaining 25 for sale at our next few shows and they will go fast... no, really.

So, make sure to come early and pick up yours if you don't already have it, cause it goes without saying (though, we'll still say it) that you won't find any versions of these two songs on the internet, because, of course, nobody would dare put them up online for free download... right? Right. Please don't.

So, as you can see, Tad doesn't like the idea of any of their demos reaching any sort of circulation on the internet, and will probably request this be taken down within a few days of me posting this. I hope he'll take into consideration our intentions here and understand that there's a huge camp of people, me included, who will gladly follow his musical career to the ends of the earth...and I can't say that for many artists (see Chris Cornell). I also hope he might consider sending WMUC a copy of his bands demo, considering MINDGRINDER doesn't exactly have the funds to spring a ticket out to Seattle and buy a CD at one of their shows.

...anyway, 'Brothers of the Sonic Cloth' are planning, what I guess would be their first official release, a split 10" with Mico De Noche due to be released on Halloween of '09 with a distribution of 500 copies. Keep an eye on their myspace and Tad's blog for more news on that.

Brothers of the Sonic Cloth - Early Demos

and as a bonus, here are two TAD songs which were released separately as singles late in their career. The first 'Obsidian Lights' was recorded during the production of 'Infrared Riding Hood' and 'Kevorkian's Holiday' was a later single, dating around '98 or so. If anyone has the other halves of these singles, or a copy they're willing to sell, hit me up.

TAD - Late Singles

--fred

NOTE: These are early recordings the band made between 2005 and 2007. This is NOT the demo that was released in extremely limited quantities....still waiting for that one to surface.

Carcass - Complete Peel Sessions

2009-07-28T11:48:00.005-04:00

I talked about Carcass a good while ago here, back when they originally started their "reunion" tour. Lucky for you, they're still on that very same tour and probably coming to a dive-bar near you, playing all of your favorite hits from Necroticism and Heartwork. How is it that Carcass is still doing this tour, but Sleep refuses to push their reunion beyond a couple dates in the UK? Does anyone care anymore?

...anyway--this is a complete collection of their John Peel recording sessions, dating from late '89 and '91. The entirety of the sessions wasn't circulated until their 'Best-of' album 'Choice Cuts' was released...and since most of you probably didn't bother with it, I packaged it on its own:

Carcass - The Complete Peel Sessions

--fred

Magrudergrind - Self Titled

2009-07-17T15:02:00.009-04:00

Magrudergrind is thrashviolence/grindcore/'whatever genre tag you want to regurgitate' from the Baltimore/District of Columbia area. Here's a vinyl rip of Magrudergrind's self-titled EP, released sometime in late May/early June. I've been avoiding uploading this for a month or so now, but I think the band has more vested interest in people digging their album than making profit.

...Nonetheless

Buy it here

Download here

--fred

Thrones - Sperm Whale

2009-07-17T14:49:00.006-04:00

Joe Preston's ass-heavy, bass-driven one man project reminiscent of the Melvins evil sludgy skull crushing wonder years. There's a whole lot of character hidden in that survivalist beard:

Thrones - Sperm Whale

The Whip

2009-06-29T19:52:00.005-04:00

Here's a band formed by Jared Warren and Scott Jernigan of KARP, as well as Joe Preston (of every sludge band you've ever liked). They only existed for around a year, or possibly less, before 'The Whip' came to a complete halt following the accidental and untimely death of Jernigan. Here we have their only official release, a 7-inch released on Wantage Records (check left sidebar), as well as a small collection of loose-ends, including two untitled tracks and a cover of Queen's "Stone Cold Crazy".

Don't get this confused with that hipster electro garbage:

The Whip

--fred

Weapon - Para Bhakti...Salvation EP + Violated Hejab EP

2009-06-27T19:59:00.005-04:00

Orthodox Black Metal from Canada (Edmonton, Alberta). They just released their first full length on Tape and LP. Buy that here.

These are two of their EPs, released in 2005 and 2008, respectively:

Violated Hejab EP
Para Bhakti...Salvation EP

--fred

Disassemble - Demogrinder

2009-06-26T14:10:00.004-04:00

If this baby-eating motherfucker could be represented through sound...he would be Disassemble.

Local (for us), Baltimore based grindcore. This 2008 demo counts as their first release, and it's not a bad foot to start out on. Mix the emotion of 'Dystopia' with the thrashviolence of Magrudergrind, and you've got Disassemble. I still haven't gotten the chance to catch them live yet, but I met Kyle, Billy, and Kevin a little while back. Cool dudes:

Disassemble - Demogrinder (2008)

Eating Glass - Feed Them To The Vultures

2009-06-26T13:49:00.006-04:00

Canook (Southern Ontario) Thrashcore, complete with flowered chest tattoos and blastbeats. Track after track is a crunchy misanthropic exploration played at light-speed. You can hear the skin being shred off of this dude's esophagus.

8 Tracks, 11 minutes:

Eating Glass - Feed Them To The Vultures

Ramesses - Misanthropic Alchemy

2009-06-25T11:43:00.004-04:00

Ramesses is Blackened-Doom-Sludge from Dorset, England. The band holds two ex-members from 'Electric Wizard', another Dorset-based Doom Metal band. They left the band in 2003 a few years after recording 'Dopethrone', leaving Jus Osborn as the only founding member still in the band.

Ramesses - Misanthropic Alchemy

User Requested Reupp: CLOUDS - Legendary Demo

2009-06-24T13:31:00.002-04:00

Here's a reupload of CLOUDS' debut release 'Legendary Demo'. I got around to actually seeing CLOUDS, probably sometime around when I made that original post...I left pretty unimpressed. Their second album was a pretty dull release; where the first album had energy, the second album replaced it with typical indie bullshit. Band is way up there on the meh-factor for me right now.

'CLOUDS - Legendary Demo' Post

Here's a similar band that is much more worth your time:

Carusella

(and they do a much better cover of 'Willie the Pimp')

Twin Threats To Your Sanity 2x7"

2009-06-23T13:08:00.004-04:00

Double Split album released back in 2001 featuring a live performance of 'Diary of a Battered Child' by Dystopia, a cover of 'Procreation of the Wicked' by NOOTHGRUSH, a live version of 'Gestation' by Bongzilla, and 'Nieve' by Japanese sludge-doomers Corrupted.

Twin Threats to Your Sanity 2x7"

--fred

Red Dirt - Self Titled LP

2009-06-23T11:58:00.005-04:00

Red Dirt is an (extremely) obscure UK psychedelic blues rock band that both formed and evaporated in 1970. This album represents their only output before their presence was smothered by the hundreds of other so-so blues rock acts that existed in the country at the time. While most of this album, besides from the opening track and the one that follows it, tends to be a little dull or uninventive by late 60s/early 70s standards, this band, at the very least, is a breath of fresh air compared to the trite 'high-school' psych rock acts that flood clubs and basements nowadays, peddling their best, albeit very poor, Black Angels/Witchcraft/Doors/Zeppelin impressions to the gaping maws of kids who would much rather play dress-up and pretend their the next wave of the Flower Children, than get with the fucking program, get a fucking job, and stop living off of their parents.

....

Red Dirt - Self Titled LP

User Requested Reupp: Slint - Spiderland

2009-06-22T15:37:00.005-04:00

Here's a reupload requested by one of our readers...apparently mediafire took the link down a little after we made the post. Trey, being as typically volatile as Trey is, deleted the album off of his hard drive in disgust shortly afterwards, and probably set his laptop on fire. We usually prefer to roll into a fetal position or retreat at any sign of legal trouble...but in a contrasting movement, I found a better quality rip of the album and uploaded it for your disposal:

'Slint - Spiderland' Post

--fred

Dark Castle - Spirited Migration

2009-06-21T13:54:00.003-04:00

Sludge-Doom two-piece from Florida with female fronted vocals ala Grey. Heavy shit; atmospheric in the vein of RWAKE:

Dark Castle - Spirited Migration

Black Skies - Aqua Dogs/Family Man 7"

2009-06-21T00:31:00.005-04:00

Here's a glimpse at the band when they first started--before Cameron joined as their drummer. Aqua Dogs is an abrasive stoned-out sludge swim you'd expect from the band nowadays, while Family Man is a 3 and a half minute rollicking instrumental jam. You can buy the record straight from the source through paypal off of their myspace.

myspace

This one's a personal vinyl rip:
Black Skies - Aqua Dogs / Family Man 7"

--fred

Black Skies at WMUC (11/23/08)

2009-06-21T00:14:00.005-04:00

I've been meaning to post this among a few other things for a good while now...this is an on-air recording of Black Skies' performance, as well as an interview (with us), here at WMUC late last year. Kevin was "Rock Hard", Trey and Cam made a love connection, and Michelle played with Sonny's Big Muff (DEATHAMMER). Good show, good times:

Black Skies Live @ WMUC 11.23.08

In case you want to hear the rest of the show featuring DEATHAMMER's set and hilarious interview, check it out here.

--fred

Black Skies - Hexagon EP

2009-06-20T23:36:00.008-04:00

Black Skies is a Sludge Rock band hailing from Chapel Hill, NC. I'm pretty sure they've only released two 7"s and one EP, of which has proved itself pretty popular on the stoner/sludge blogosphere thus far. Black Skies plays straight-ahead sludged-out rock, not unlike 'High on Fire', with the grittier (and LOUD) sensibilities of 'Jucifer'.

I could go on forever about how awesome the band is and what great people they are...but you probably don't want to read that. I will say however that they have recently released their EP on Vinyl in very limited quantities, so pick it up while you still can:

Buy their LP
myspace

Black Skies - Hexagon (320 kbps)

--fred

Dead Pegasus - Self Titled

2009-06-20T18:06:00.005-04:00

Here's a hardworking DIY group from Philly. Dead Pegasus plays a sort of heavy alternative rock/sludge that hasn't really been crafted since the late 90s. Sounds like RATM (don't stop reading) jammed in a blender with Saviours, with little bits of High on Fire sprinkled on top. Give these guys some love:

Dead Pegasus - Self Titled

Black Cobra

2009-06-20T15:40:00.003-04:00

Here's a sludge two-piece project based in San Francisco, CA formed by Jason Landrian (Cavity) and Rafael Martinez (ex-16, Acid King). They mix the low frequency buzz of Floor with the exuberance of KARP and wrap it all up in dissonance to give you the neat little package that is 'Black Cobra'. This is their first full length album, released back in 2006:

Black Cobra - Bestial

--fred

High Tone Son of a Bitch

2009-06-18T17:03:00.005-04:00

'High Tone Son of a Bitch' is a stoner rock band from Oakland, California featuring past members from Cruevo, Noothgrush, Porn (The Men of), and Totimoshi. They stuck around long enough to release one 4-track single produced by Alex Newport (of Fudge Tunnel and Max Cavalera-project Nailbomb, as well as producer of a fuck-ton of other bands like Sepultura, the Melvins, SOAD, Mars Volta, Taint, and others).

High Tone Son of a Bitch - Better You Than Me

Nocnitsa Demos + Reupped Talking Head Performance

2009-06-18T15:18:00.004-04:00

Bleak Metal from Baltimore, MD. They've recorded one cassette demo, and are currently in the works of producing their first album. The tape demo is 30 minutes long and features both songs recorded from their April '08 Talking Head Club Performance, as well as some more macabre acoustic and percussive tracks recorded outdoors:

2007/08 Cassette Demo

A little while back Mediafire decided to get fresh and delete my upload of Nocnitsa's show at the Talking Head Club last year, so here's a reupp:

Nocnitsa @ The Talking Head Club April 21st, 2008

And for the hell of it, here's a song from Blodtorste's demo, which was essentially made up of Nocnitsa's original line-up:

Blodtorste - Bleed For the Count

They've got a show coming up next month with Locrian, Corporeal, and The New Flesh July 8th at the Talking Head Club in Baltimore, MD (off of Saratoga), as well as a show with Corporeal and Ludicra in August (details to come in soon).

--fred

Black Skies tearing it up at SXSW

2009-06-14T01:04:00.003-04:00

Dishammer

2009-06-03T12:39:00.005-04:00

This is Dishammer from Madrid, Spain. Band adopts a crusty-gallop comparable to Darkthrone and mixes it with some blackened-thrash. Reminds me of that Black Goat I posted a little while back (which all of you should listen to). I think what I'm trying to say is--these guys sounds a lot like Darkthrone...and that's not a bad thing. Cool band.

Dishammer - Vintage Addiction

NOOTHGRUSH - Erode the Person (Original and Thrones Re-release)

2009-05-29T01:44:00.003-04:00

NOOTHGRUSH has only released songs on a little more than a handful of splits and maybe a 7" here and there, so 'Erode the Person', meant to be a compilation, is good representation of their body of work. A bit of a problem arose though, for me at least, when I went to re-download this after my last hard drive died; 'Erode the Person' was released twice--two different albums with separate cover art and track listings. So, to counter-act that, I'm uploading both the original version of 'Erode' along with the "Thrones Release", which was put out 3 years ago. Of the two, I prefer the original for it's tracklisting, as it has 'Gage' and 'Sysyphus Narrow Way', however the "Thrones Release" has it's own edge in sound quality, as well as a few songs exclusive onto itself. Can't go wrong here:

Original 'Erode the Person'
Thrones Release: Part 1 Part 2

--fred

The Melvins - Pick Your Battles

2009-05-29T01:28:00.004-04:00

Here's a 15-Track CD that was released along with Brian Walsby's Manchild 4--not unlike the first Manchild Walsby released that included the Melvins' 'Making Love Demos'. This disc features 8 tracks from their performance at 'Gilman St. Project in Berkeley, CA back in 1989, while the remaining 7 tracks are from their performance at the Paradise Rock Club in Boston, MA last year. Something to bide your time with 'til someone circulates their 25th anniversary show recording...

Melvins - Pick Your Battles

--fred

MINDGRINDER REMINDER

2009-05-19T20:02:00.004-04:00

We're doing our last show of the semester tonight--it'll be a best-of spring '09 show; a collection of our favorite tracks played over the past few months, along with a few new tracks, including a couple off of Magrudergrind's new Self-Titled LP and the debut of a brand new 'Behold! The Monolith' track from their new album due to be released sometime over the summer. Show runs from 10pm-12am (eastern time zone). Feel free to call in!

--fred

Hail!Hornet - Self Titled

2009-05-14T01:03:00.005-04:00

Low-Frequency, Blood-Spittin' Southern Sludge; for fans of Buzzov*en, EYEHATEGOD, and being depressed. The rumble of the Earth-esque opening riff sums the band up for you. They'll still melt your face off and fuck your wife, though.

Hail!Hornet - Self Titled

Hey, did you know that Slipknot's on Metal-Archives, but Agoraphobic Nosebleed isn't? Cool, huh?

An Update!

2009-05-14T00:32:00.007-04:00

So...what's going on in our world? Finals week is upon us and I have a whole lot of reading and studying to catch up on if I plan to continue my college career (so don't get all butthurt if I don't respond right away to your meritless mass-email about the country/folk singer your shitty advertising agency is trying to promote...my hands are full.) I figured I might drop some music on you guys...you know, update for the first time in a week...let you know we're still into what we're doing here.

First off, I want to note that next Tuesday will be the last airing of MINDGRINDER for the spring semester of '09 on WMUC. We'll be doing our usual end of the year thing; recycled favorites and all. We'll also be playing another brand new 'Behold! The Monolith' track, which'll be on their record that's due to be released within the year. I know 'Black Skies' is due to be returning to the studio soon...not sure when, but I'm pretty excited about it. 'Kowloon Walled City' is currently recording their first full album, no big details yet.

Also, even though we're not going to be on the air over the summer, we still want to hear your band (especially if you fit our format. take a good guess.) Keep in mind that we love and favor DIY artists. We're also interested in potentially doing some interviews on the air in the future...you know, let us know.

...I'm going to work on changing the site again after school's over--we're obviously behind the times by a couple weeks now, and I fucking hate the color palette now. It looks like barf. I might also try to make the page less 'noisy'. If you have any suggestions, I'm way open to them.

and lastly, I wanted to plug two things: tomorrow will be the last airing of 'Philosophical Discourses' on WMUC2, Eldis and I may come back to do the show next semester...who knows. Also, I'll be sitting during 'Dna in the Dna' tomorrow from 6pm-8pm for Sean's two hour NIRVANA special--this'll be the last radio show I do for a couple months.

Anywho, it'll be dead around here for a week or two as we buckle down here in College Park, keep the faith though.

--fred

Behind 1's Back

2009-05-05T15:06:00.004-04:00

Piggy Squealin' good Stoner/Thrash/Core Something from the land of the rising sun. Vocals remind me of Hellchild/From Hell/Force, I'm not sure if this band shares their vocalist or not.

Check it out:
Behind 1's Back - We Hate To Follow TheRules

I'm posting this so I can have the opportunity to plug our show tonight--it's an all Japan special; we'll be going over the bands I listed above and a few more. No Boris. Sorry.

--fred

Yo, so what do you think of the new color palette?

2009-05-02T01:59:00.000-04:00

did we jump the shark?

2009-04-29T17:57:00.001-04:00

Carusella - Self Titled

2009-04-21T16:19:00.002-04:00

Carusella is from Israel and they fit somewhat outside of the music that we usually post here. They bridge the gap between garage-indie and noise rock, but bring something heavier that defies that troublesome "indie" tag. The record starts off establishing the band's pummeling presence, before Tamar Aphek (vox, gits) chimes in, bringing a lighter feel to the atmosphere. Her voice wavers a bit at parts, noticeably untrained, but in a charming way. Aphek's vocal tracks are the more melodic and catchier of the few peppered throughout the record, which was most likely a deciding factor in their decision to front "Star Quality" at the head of their promotional push. Guy Schechter's (vox, skins) vocal tracks are typically the heavier tracks on the album, with more off-kilter moments that slip into something akin to Unsane or Helmet. Carusella is, without a doubt, another band you should keep an eye on in the next few upcoming years.

This album rocks like no other:

Carusella - Self-Titled

--fred

DNA Test Fest II (2009) in DC

2009-04-21T11:33:00.006-04:00

Another year has come which means another DNA Test Fest, organized by Sean Gray from WMUC's 'DNA in the DNA', the longest running and most belligerent, vile, and offensive punk show on college radio on the East Coast.

It's $15 dollars for two days of obscene noise-violence at the Velvet Lounge (down the street from DC Metro's U-Street Stop on the Green Line)

April 24th-25th
7pm 'til Death

COME ONNNNN!!!

--fred

Salome - Self-Titled

2009-04-16T01:11:00.007-04:00

This is Salome (Sal-Om-May not Sal-Low-Me or Salami) from Northern Virginia. I had the pleasure of seeing these three at the Nowarehouse along with Oak and two other bands that I've completely forgotten about. There was some black or death metal band that seemed to be making a big deal about themselves because they were about to go to tour in Europe but who cares whatever.

Salome is heavy. Really heavy. A kind of crushing misanthropy that could have only come from a real shithole like Northern Virginia. The vocals are something akin to NOOTHGRUSH, something you wouldn't really expect from meeting their vocalist in person (she's apparently also the new vocalist for Agoraphobic Nosebleed). The guitar work is patient and sloth-like, occasionally breaking into Stoner Rock trips before bringing back the heavy. Most of the album keeps a crawling sort of pace with some bludgeoning riffs here and there (most of Black Tides).

Check it out:

Salome - Self-Titled
Buy (It's either this or you go to a show and buy it.)

--fred

I Met a Cool Band on the Internet Today (Carusella)

2009-04-15T13:06:00.002-04:00

This is Carusella from Israel:

more to come soon...
--fred

Subrig Destroyer - Rode Asunder EP

2009-04-14T13:01:00.002-04:00

Subrig is a drum-and-bass power-duo hailing from the great Athens, GA (home of a few other notable sludge bands). Included here is their only release thus far--their 5-track, 40 minute opus 'Rode Asunder'. This is some really minimalist low-frequency stuff, similar to that of 'Om', but more aggressive. I look forward to seeing what these two pump out in the future:

Subrig Destroyer - Rode Asunder
shitspace

--fred

Snailface

2009-04-13T23:13:00.007-04:00

You guys remember Kowloon Walled City? Well, they're back (sort of), with their side project entitled 'Snailface'. This record's a complete offshoot from Kowloon's previous work (and it should be noted that this IS NOT a Kowloon Walled City release), and is being offered on their site for free download, but I figured I might upp it here as well.

'Snailface' is the Rock-LP the Melvins always wanted to record. A liberal-cramming of Cock-Rock (Transvaginal Organ Harvest), Alternative (Botanomancer) and shameless 70s nostalgia (Drug School), into a Stoner tromp worthy of Orange Goblin and the like results in a record that rings echoes of the Zebraman. I say it's a shame this isn't a legit band:

Snailface - Self Titled

--fred

Articles on Squashed Foreign Efforts to Stop (Internet) Piracy

2009-04-13T12:22:00.008-04:00

New Zealand:
http://chattahbox.com/business/2009/03/24/new-zealand-backs-down-from-controversial-“three-strikes”-copyright-law/

*New* France:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7992262.stm

Hooray (for now)

--fred

(music posts coming later today)

Bedemon - Invocation to Doom

2009-04-01T20:01:00.008-04:00

Bedemon is a concept band constructed by ex-Pentagram guitarist Randy Palmer back in the early 1970s. The band's namesake is twisted together from the combination of 'Behemoth' and 'Demon' (and the aid of a hard-of-hearing Bobby Liebling), reflecting the sinister attitude and heavy-riffing dished out in the group's early recordings. The project disintegrated with Palmer's induction into Pentagram, with a couple Bedemon songs, one of which being 'Starlady'--later released on 'First Daze Here', even making it into the folds of Pentagram's discos. There were plans to re-record the 70s material and release a full LP, but in an unfortunate turn of events, Randy Palmer died in a car accident in 2002, right as his plans for new recording sessions were starting to come together. Included is a full release of demos from their 1970s sessions--keep in mind these are in pretty Low Fidelity, but it's still a solid listen.

For fans of PENTAGRAM, Witchcraft, and Black Sabbbath:

Bedemon - Invocation to Doom

--fred

George Carlin is not Funny.

2009-04-01T14:46:00.003-04:00

You know what else he is not? Living.

Now post some music you fucking hippie piece of shit

--fred

...

2009-04-01T14:43:00.002-04:00

Fred doesn't think that George Carlin is funny. Fred also like Madonna and Chai Lattes

Now he's probably going to write some comment about how I should post more or something.

Behold! The Monolith

2009-03-27T14:16:00.002-04:00

'Behold! The Monolith' hails from Los Angeles, California. With clear influences from Motorhead, High on Fire, Mastodon, and the Melvins, 'Monolith' leads you from track to track on a slow doom tromp, intermittently breaking into an impulsive, gritty, sprinting display of power. Bass lurks through the first track, under layers of fluid guitar work, before the two convene to lay the sludgehammer, setting the mood for the rest of the EP. The vocals reflect influences from metal behemoths like NOOTHGRUSH and Grief, with a hearty helping of Lemmy.

Easily one of my favorite releases of this year:

Behold! The Monolith - EP

--fred

KARP - Self Titled

2009-03-27T14:00:00.004-04:00

{This was originally posted by myself on [shiny grey monotone]. I thought it was funny and deserved a re-post}

Year: 1997

[T]his is KARP's final, and my favorite, of all their releases. KARP has been remarked (very stupidly in my opinion) as a 'metal band that even indie rockers can love'. Fuck that. KARP was not metal. They were a noisy cacophonous bundle of confusion, humility, and pure-fucking-exuberance. Song after song is an orgy of cochleatic-grinding that continues to pummel you across your skull long after the record ends. 'KARP' is an ear-raping experience you will never forget, nor never WANT to forget. You will cherish the moment you had with the band...reminisce fondly on Scott Jernigan (drums) breathing heavily over you as Jared Warren (bass, vox) holds you down by the midsection and Chris Smith (gits, vox) penetrates balls deep into your cerebral cortex. Your wounds have healed...but the emotional trauma has stamped itself upon your soul.

KARP is really good! Heavily influenced by the Melvins! It's like a grungy Big Business or somethin!

KARP - Self Titled

TAD - Various Singles

2009-03-24T20:14:00.006-04:00

Here's a little grunge lovin' from everyone's favorite Seattle heavy-hitters, TAD.

[1988] Daisy/Ritual Device 7"
(Their first 7", one of the earliest records released by Sub Pop back in the day)

[1989] Tad/Pussy Galore Split
(A split with Pussy Galore; TAD covers Damaged, while Pussy Galore does Damaged II. Probably has the best beginning to any TAD release.)

[1990] Loser Single

[1993] Leafy Incline Single
(features a different version of 'Leafy Incline')

--fred

More Boring Radio Shit

2009-03-17T17:31:00.003-04:00

We're going to post some music soon, we promise.

So, Trey and I guest DJed at WMBC sometime last week with Hasan from Death By Hanger (deathbyhanger.blogspot.com, and a good time was had by all. You can check the recording of it on his blog (right panel).

Also, worth nothing, if the very special airing of MINDGRINDER tonight, dubbed GRUNGE-GRINDER, or something of the like. I'll be playing some Amphetamine Reptile-era Noise Rock, Seattle Grunge (before and after the boom), and a few other 90s nostalgia indie bands (Dinosaur Jr, Sonic Youth, Treepeople). It'll be a good time...

--fred

Varg Vikernes (Burzum) Released from Prison Today. // BURZUM Super Post

2009-03-12T02:00:00.000-04:00

Duuuude. Source here.

"I'm ready for society — and I have been for many years," Vikernes told Dagbladet last July . "I have learned from my mistakes and become older. Now I just want to be together with my family. My mind has never been in prison; I think all the time about what I should do on the day that I am released." He added, "I have barely seen my son since he came into the world. Even though I hear his voice on the phone almost every day, it is very tough to not be present while he is growing up. I miss my family. And I look forward the day that I could work on my farm, create music, write books and be with the wife and kids around the clock — and live a normal life. I have received tremendous support from my family. It means a lot."

--fred

CORRECTION: Varg is to be released SOON, not March 10th. I expect within the week or so.

[1992] Burzum
[1992] Hvis Lyset Tar Oss
[1993] Aske
[1993] Det Som Engang Vaar

...

2009-03-07T16:32:00.003-05:00

I'm sick of this "Mastodon sucks post-Remission" bull.

You're just trying to be cool, admit it.

this weekend at WMUC...

2009-03-05T19:48:00.001-05:00

NIRVANA - (Smells Like Teen Spirit - Lithium - Heart Shaped Box Singles)

2009-03-03T19:41:00.008-05:00

While I was home in Baltimore over the weekend, besides from being sick as shit and hating consciousness, I managed to finally get around to ripping some of my CDs, which were lost in the great Hard Drive blowout of '08. Most of my CDs, or 'legally owned music', were bought throughout High School and during my time working at RTT (Record and Tape Traders), and I did happen to run across some pretty cool stuff, which I'll start uploading over the next few weeks.

Included in this post are three separate NIRVANA singles from their heyday; Smells Like Teen Spirit (1991), Lithium (1992), and Heart Shaped Box (1993). None of these are rare--nor contain any unreleased material (as of 2004), and they typically come in a boxed set titled the 'Singles Collection', but I got to collect them the fun way; one by one. Pretty sure I'm missing a couple....whatever, fuck it:

Smells Like Teen Spirit Single
Smells Like Teen Spirit
Even In His Youth
Aneurysm

Lithium Single
Lithium
Been a Son
Curmudgeon

Heart Shaped Box Single
Heart Shaped Box
Milk It
Marigold

--fred

EDIT: just some stuff I forgot to mention...

on the 'SLTS' single: 'Even in His Youth' is a different studio version than what was released on 'With the Lights Out'. Also, that copy of 'Aneurysm' is a better quality version than the mix released on 'Incesticide'. Go figure.

on the 'Lithium' single: That 'Been a Son' track is live, from 1991, I think.

on the 'HSB' single: 'Marigold' was Grohl's first substantial musical input in the band, besides from the riff and the beat from 'Scentless Apprentice'. Then Cobain blew his brains out and Dave never got the chance to share any more of his music with the band. Good on you Kurt.

MINDGRINDER - Projecting an Image of Success!

2009-02-23T16:21:00.006-05:00

So things were all sunny and right in the world of MINDGRINDER last week...til we actually got the station Tuesday night. Oblivious to our knowledge, until right before we went on, the "Auxiliary" cable, which allows us to use our fancy (and busted ass) iPods during our show was out of commission, or in better description, was only playing sound through the left channel. Our immediate plan was, of course, to follow through with the show anyway and just dub it 'MONOGRINDER' to give it some sort of legitimacy (and novelty, albeit a very small one). However, when coupled with a couple friends who either just happened to be at the station, or came by to sit in for the show, an entirely different type of show was spawned.

2 Hours of Eldis (Pussyhawk Live) talking about his cardigan, Pope John Paul II, GG Allin, and an excellent bout of improv from a kind sport in CR2 (WMUC2 internet stream), mixed with interludes from a ton of 80s bands I've never heard of/never want to hear again. Needless to say, we had fun, but judging from our list of online listeners (which was consistently zero, apart from the 'stream-ripper'), I'm guessing we didn't really appeal to our listeners all that much with our showing.

ANYWAYYY, I'm writing all of this bullshit just to say that the problem with our soundboard has been...treated, and we should be able to move ahead as planned tomorrow night, and play the music we intended to play last week before the station decided to be a piece of shit and break. LISTEN, for fucks sake--us being on the air is pointless if we don't have anyone tuning in:

Tuesdays 10pm-12am (eastern time)
streaming over the internet at wmucradio.com
stream link: http://wmucradio.com/wmuc-high.m3u

Preview of things to come: NOOTHGRUSH, Grief, dISEMBOWELMENT, Dystopia, Grey, PENTAGRAM....

--fred

Dystopia - Self Titled

2009-02-22T17:31:00.005-05:00

This is Dystopia's final album, released mid last year in 2008. This album represents a different time in the band, as opposed to '98's "Aftermath" and '94's "Human = Garbage". Some might believe that something was lost in the the creation of this album, whether it be the angst, hatred, anger, energy, or even the level of creativity--but I am one to believe that all of these things just manifested a bit differently on this record.

The band has matured over the past 10 years since we've last seen them, with this album having a different but still overt relationship with their previous albums. Dino's (drums, vox) vocals are worn from years of screeching, and Parillo (guitars, vox) has slipped into an exasperated throaty death call that contrasts his more youthful growls from 'Human'. The songs are generally slower and burgeoning, excluding 'Illusion to Love', which harkens back to their blastbeat days of yore. All the hatred and misanthropy of years past still exists here, muddled in between deep guitar tones and a strong, yet lassitudinous, Dino preaching testaments of our world gone to shit, hopeless human beings wandering aimlessly, and the lies and broken promises we all realize in our later lifetimes. Nothing at all has been lost, just matured and fermented. This is not a record of 'loose ends' from the conclusion of their career, but rather a final grim reflection on our world, finally scribing the final chapter on Dystopia.

I can't envision a greater way of going out:

Dystopia - Self Titled

--fred

Beehoover - The Sun Behind the Dustbin (2007)

2009-02-17T02:24:00.006-05:00

You can find the excellent Heavy Zooo all over the internets, so I thought I'd share Beehoover's first (see: under appreciated) LP. In my opinion, Heavy Zooo panders a bit to the Stoners and sacrifices some of the poignant melancholy of this first record.

So I don't know too much about Beehoover to pass on to you. I know they're the rhythm section of mediocre doom band Voodooshock. I also know that they rule, and that's about it.

So yeah yeah stoner rock whatever. Or is it? You might be surprised if you listen long enough. For instance, "Yellow Mile" is serviceable first track, but it pales in comparison to the brooding (yet catchy!) "A Foul Smelling Wheel Called Downhill." "Paraffin Oiler" is a sad and powerful extended jam that really stuck with me after listening to the album the first time. "Nice Romantic Evening" is a creepy little acoustic piece with dash of slap guitar about fucking your mom (I don't know man, they're German it's whatever). "Damn You, Charlie Brown," other than having an absurd name, is epic.

Actually, since we're on the topic of absurd song titles, it's safe to say that quite a bit gets lost in translation for these guys. The lyrics rarely make sense and they don't really connect with each other in a meaningful way. That's not to say the lyrics are ill-composed, because that would be far from the truth. The flow is unbelievably flawless and these guys really have a great synthesis between the bass, drums, and vocals. Ingmar really captures the emotion of each song even if he doesn't make any goddamned sense.

OK, so you're not in to that "faggot" emotional song-writing. That's fine, there's plenty else to enjoy about this band. If there's one thing Beehoover does exceptionally well it's write some catchy-ass-riffs. More often than not, you will have these bass lines stuck in your head for days. I found myself *dying* to get back to my house to tickle my itch for certain songs (I'm looking at you Charlie Brown).

These guys really know how to play, and the interplay between guitar and drums is powerful to say the least. It's obvious these two have played together for awhile, and they have such a unique and solidified sound. One of the best bands to ever grace the so-called "Stoner Rock" scene is at your fingertips gents, I suggest you get to it.

Beehoover - The Sun Behind the Dustbin