Gränslandet – Solidum (Review)

granslandetGränslandet are a hardcore band from Sweden. This is their debut album.

This is 41 minutes of filthy hardcore that combines d-beat, crust and sludge together into a grime-covered mass of aural pollution.

The band have the kind of production that sounds as if they’ve been dragged out of the swamp, kicking and clawing into the sunlight. Raw, underground and filthy doesn’t quite cover it in many ways. Continue reading “Gränslandet – Solidum (Review)”

Nuisible – Inter Feces et Urinam Nascimur (Review)

NuisibleNuisible are a blackened hardcore band from France. This is their debut album.

Inter Feces et Urinam Nascimur sort of sounds like what would happen if Darkthrone embraced a love of Scandinavian d-beat and produced one massively pissed off record. Add in some elements of crusty death metal and grindcore and you have 23 minutes of red-hot anger. Continue reading “Nuisible – Inter Feces et Urinam Nascimur (Review)”

Vermin Womb – Decline (Review)

Vermin WombVermin Womb are a blackened sludge/grind band form the US. This is their debut album.

Due to my love of their first EP Permanence, as well as all things Primitive Man and Clinging to the Trees of a Forest Fire, (who they share members with), this release has been highly anticipated by yours truly.

On Permanence Vermin Womb channelled the destructive essence Continue reading “Vermin Womb – Decline (Review)”

Sea of Bones/Ramlord – Split (Review)

Sea of Bones RamlordSea of Bones and Ramlord are both from the US. Sea of Bones play doom, while Ramlord play hardcore.

Sea of Bones have produced some monolithic, crushing doom/sludge metal in their time, so it’s with great joy that I prepared to listen to their half of this split – a single track named Hopelessness and Decay, lasting just under 11 minutes.

Slow and full of apocalyptic inevitability, the track unfolds at minimal speed, Continue reading “Sea of Bones/Ramlord – Split (Review)”

Trap Them – Crown Feral (Review)

Trap ThemTrap Them are a hardcore band from the US. This is their fifth album.

Trap Them play dark hardcore, full of raw nastiness and rabid bite.

The singer has the perfect voice for this kind of thing; completely feral and utterly aggressive. His high-pitched screaming shouts lash out from the music like dangerous bladed weapons, eager to draw blood. With compelling rhythms and engaging, memorable vocal patterns, his voice is the driving factor and focal point for the dark music. Continue reading “Trap Them – Crown Feral (Review)”

Six-Score – Lebensräume (Review)

Six-ScoreSix-Score are an Austrian Grindcore band, and this is their second album.

This is modern-edged grind with plenty of aggression and attitude.

Hardcore and punk influences can be heard alongside quite a few d-beat and crust ones, all mixed in with some metal and grinding ferocity. The parts that are injected with more d-beat and punk stylings are quite energetic, Continue reading “Six-Score – Lebensräume (Review)”

Cara Neir/Wildspeaker – Guilt and His Reflection (Review)

Cara Neir WildspeakerCara Neir are a black metal/crust/grind/whatever band from the US. They have teamed up with Wildspeaker, a blackened sludge/crust band, also from the US.

I’m a big fan of Cara Neir, so as far as I’m concerned any release of theirs is well worth giving a listen to. On this split they contribute seven songs spread over 21 minutes.

You never quite know what you’re going to be getting with Continue reading “Cara Neir/Wildspeaker – Guilt and His Reflection (Review)”

Myteri – Myteri (Review)

MyteriMyteri are a crust/punk band from Sweden and this is their debut album.

Myteri combine crust and punk influences into 27 minutes of roiling hardcore, recalling a mix of Poison Idea, Fredag Den 13:e and Martyrdöd.

With a very unassuming cover, along with the brief intro track, this seems to Continue reading “Myteri – Myteri (Review)”

Morrow – Covenant of Teeth (Review)

MorrowMorrow are a UK-based doom/sludge/crust band. This is their latest album.

This is one of those releases that will likely infuriate those who like music that’s easily classifiable. According to the band, they’re emo crust, and I can see why they’d say that. In my opinion, describing Morrow as a d-beat influenced crust band may be superficially correct in some ways, but there’s so much more than that going on here. They have a cello Continue reading “Morrow – Covenant of Teeth (Review)”