Iron Reagan are from the US and this is their second album. They play Metallic Crossover and feature members of bands such as Municipal Waste, Darkest Hour and Cannabis Corpse.
I have enjoyed Iron Reagan’s previous work so I was expecting good things from this album. It doesn’t disappoint.
Iron Reagan play Hardcore and Thrash mixed in a blender and shat out at escape velocity. It’s highly aggressive and kicks your door down looking for a scrap. There’s no hiding.
The songs are short, heavy and usually exceedingly violent. Iron Reagan have a nice malevolent streak to some of their riffs that keeps things gritty.
The band play tight and fast, and some short, sharp guitar solos are also included in their spiky package.
Vocally the shouts straddle that rarely seen line where you can imagine them being transposed into either an 80’s Thrash band or an 80’s Hardcore band with equal ease. They inhabit both worlds flawlessly and effectively represent both.
A quality album. 24 blasts of anarchy in just under 32 minutes. Play loud.
This year Secret Cutter unleashed their début album Self Titled on an unsuspecting world. This was an avalanche of heaviness and naked hostility tempered down into a short shock of an album that was immediate enough to get the adrenaline flowing and featured enough depth to carry it for the long haul. If you haven’t already heard it I recommend tracking it down. Now.
I wanted to find out more so dived head first onto the cutting floor…
For those who are unfamiliar with your band – introduce yourself!
Jared: We’re Secret Cutter, a 3-piece Sludge/Grind/Doom band from Bethlehem PA and we play heavy music!
Evan: We don’t have a bass player.
Give us a bit of history to Secret Cutter
Jared: Ekim and I’s old band (Oktober Skyline) broke up and we were in between bands and heard Evan, who put out the OS record, wanted to play something heavy, so we decided to try it out and a few months jamming we recorded our 7 inch in Ekim’s basement.
Tell us about the band name
Evan: It’s about the trap of self hatred. None of us cut ourselves on purpose.
What are your influences?
Jared: Impermanence, edibles, the human experience, love, hate, anything can be an influence if you let it.
What are you listening to at the moment that you would like to recommend?
Jared: Nothing heavy really, Emil Amos from the Holy Suns is destroying me lately.
Evan: The “Off Your Parents ” Ep by The Yah Mos. It came out in 1994 one of the best 7 inch’s of the 90’s in my opinion.
How did you decide upon the sound that your band has? Was this a conscious decision to aim for this or was it a more organic, natural process of just finding out what fit and felt right?
Jared : Definitely wanted to do something heavy. I think in time as we grow we’re constantly trying to bend our definition of ‘heavy’. But not on purpose…it just happens with time, and that moment when we’re chuckling with the hairs standing on our necks, we know it’s right.
Where/how do you think you fit in with the wider Metal scene as a whole?
Jared: I’m not sure where we fit in really. I’d hope it would be enjoyed by any fans of heavy music but I feel like we don’t appeal to just one genre.
Do you have any specific goals you want to achieve with this album?
Jared : Just to get it out to as many ears as possible.
Are you happy with how it turned out?
Jared : Very happy at this point. The response has been overwhelmingly positive.
Evan: The response has really been great. One review basically said we make music for the end of the world. I really enjoyed that..
What can you tell us about the lyrics?
Ekim: The struggles of everyday life for everyone. Each song is it’s own meaning for me, but could be relate-able through other people’s interpretations. No love making lyrics here.
How do you write your songs?
Jared : Evan brings the riffs to the table like a manic scientist and I basically learn the song and try to syncopate the rhythm. Then over time the songs just grow. It takes a really long time for some songs to be fully incubated.
How do you see your songs/direction developing in the future?
Jared : If any more bleak than what we’ve been writing…I’ll want to swallow a bottle of Zoloft. And I’m OK with that.
What’s next for Secret Cutter?
Jared : All unknown! Except our next LP which is basically written. I’m very excited about playing out with this new material.
Great Reversals are from the US and play Hardcore/Post-Hardcore. This is their latest EP.
The band boast quite the immense sound with guitar riffs sounding like great slabs of granite falling from the sky.
A charismatic vocalist instantly draws the attention and hooks you in. His voice pierces the combination of heavy Metallic Hardcore and the more restrained Post-Hardcore influences to create an aural experience that’s quite invigorating.
This strikes me as the kind of band that would have done very well in the late 90’s/early 00’s; think of a charismatic band from this era, (maybe bits of bands like Skycamefalling and Shai Hulud), and then update the sound with a relatively subtle Post-Hardcore influence and Great Reversals are the result.
This is an impressive EP and I was expecting something less individual and less…striking than this. Maybe it’s the cynic in me, but this is a great little EP and I’m pleasantly surprised by how good it is.
It’s time to show your support – check out Great Reversals and get their EP. Definitely worth a listen.
Cathedral Fever are from the US and play Hardcore that’s chaotic, Crusty and dark.
The cover intrigues me. What lies within?
The answer is anger. Anger lies within.
Cathedral Fever are the kind of band who always sound loud, even when played at low volumes. It’s no mean feat. Their sound seems strong enough to overcome mere physical limitations of air vibrations and get to the very meat of the matter – sounding pissed and playing pure rage.
The songs have personality and the band understand what makes this kind of violent Hardcore Metal interesting. Rather than just being one dimensional displays of rage and anger they understand the need for dynamics, a bit of variety, (within stylistic limitations of course), and the importance of a good riff.
They don’t neglect the bass either, which is a very undervalued and under-used instrument in my opinion. Good stuff.
Another interesting element to their sound is an almost Old-School Metal/Rock feel to some of the riffs on occasion. It’s not a huge part of their sound but it’s there enough to make a note of. The blending of Metallic Hardcore guitars with a Rockier sound to some of the riffs works well. Add this to the Crust vibe that covers everything and the songs work well.
This is a really good EP from a band with enough talent to force people to take notice of them. Check them out and see if they can knock you down.
Colombian Necktie are from the US and this is their début album.
The band have a basis in Hardcore but build elements of Sludge and Metal on top of this to create something heavy, raw and nasty. I’ve been watching this band’s development over the last few splits and EPs that they have released and it seems that with this album they’ve taken everything they’ve learned and ramped it up to the maximum.
A suitably crushing sound heralds the start of the album and it immediately draws you in. The recording is arid, focused and everything sounds both tight and loose at the same time.
Colombian Necktie have a relatively varied sound that employs bits from many different Metal subgenres and puts them to work creating this monument to Hardcore Sludge. Sludgecore, if you will. And I’m glad they did as it sounds just great.
This belongs to the same stable of bands such as Charger, Eyehategod, Enabler, Mistress, Serpent Eater, Ilsa, etc. – bands that are doing their own thing by their own rules and make a virtue out of the heavy, filthy and unclean.
For the most part Colombian Necktie’s songs are tightly compressed balls of rage. Hardcore and Sludge sensibilities combine along with the odd Stoner Rock moment to create an album with a vicious swagger and an attitude that just won’t quit. Add to this the odd synth effect, some other interesting ideas and the emotional closing track Kevin’s Song, (which is by far the longest track here), and you have an engaging and diverse album.
The singer is impressively rabid the whole time and sounds like he would be great live, which of course can be extended to the entire band.
Considering their past releases I was hoping this would be a good album but they have more than exceeded my expectations in this. I knew it would be of a certain quality but wasn’t expecting an album of this depth and nuance.
A highly recommended listen for all connoisseurs of heaviness.
Vermin Womb are from the US and this is their début EP.
Made up of members with an impressive Extreme Metal pedigree, (Primitive Man, Clinging to the Trees of a Forest Fire), this releases takes that collective knowledge and experience and funnels it into a veritable natural disaster’s worth of extremity and violence given form.
This is a combination of Sludge, Grind, Death Metal and pissed off Hardcore. It’s not for the faint-hearted and sounds like the end of the world is coming. It’s brutal, nasty, and very, very heavy.
The songs here combine the ferocity and general disdain of Hardcore/Grindcore with the murky evil of Sludge and the brutality of Death Metal. There’s even a Blackened edge.
Take Eyehategod, Brutal Truth and Anaal Nathrakh, mash them all up, put the remains in a blender, force feed the resultant slop into a few hapless victims and the resulting screams of pain and agony will sound a bit like Vermin Womb.
The singer is probably one of these unfortunates as it sounds like he’s been gargling liquid nightmares and is now vomiting forth the worst of his experiences.
This is impressively ugly and it takes real determination and talent to create Metal this heavy and grotesque.
Absolutely horrible music that you can’t afford to miss out on.
Protestant are from the US and play Blackened Hardcore Metal.
This is raw, dirty and exceedingly violent in nature.
The riffs have a real Blackened colour to the melodies, which are merged with a Punk attitude and delivery style. The Blackened Punk style has yet to be done to death and Protestant do it very well indeed.
Protestant inhabit a similar space stylistically to bands such as Hexis and Flesh Born, and if you like them you should check out Protestant, (and vice versa). All three bands are exemplars of this kind of music.
Protestant write good riffs and sound thunderously impressive. They let the darkness pile on thick and heavy, all the time allowing the driving Hardcore mentality to energise the songs and propel them forwards.
The vocalist croaks and rasps his way through the 8 tracks like his lungs are going to give out at any minute. He accompanies the apocalyptic sounding music like the final harbinger of the worst things yet to come. His is the voice of anger, rage and dark tidings.
Protestant have released an album that bridges the gap between the sometimes dissonant worlds of Hardcore and Black Metal in a way that sounds like they were born to do this.
In Thy Name is an album propelled by exquisite Blackened riffs and Hardcore energy the likes of which we don’t see very often.
This is a split between French Grindcore bands Miserable Failure and Atara.
Atara are up first and they give us 6 tracks of Punk and groove influenced Grind.
These are enjoyable short, sharp adrenaline shots of modern Grind with Punk attitude and a touch of Nasum added in.
The singer is particularly acerbic and he heads the tracks here like the focal point of devastation.
Scathing vocals and a rounded, heavy sound that’s not overproduced means that the band shine filthily and so do the songs. Top work by Atara.
We’ve met Miserable Failure before with their last EP Hope. They continue to impress here with 8 tracks of furious Grind that mix the best of the extreme nature of Grindcore with the violence of modern Hardcore.
The utterly demented vocals are present and the music sounds just as unhinged. Slabs of distortion that pass themselves off as riffs crash into your skull and before you know it you’re left wondering what the hell just happened. And then, without warning, Miserable Failure loom in suddenly for the killing blow.
There’s no reason at all you shouldn’t get this. None whatsoever.
Collision are a Grindcore band from the Netherlands and The Rotted are a Crust-influenced Death Metal band from the UK.
This is a short split at just over 6 minutes in length that shows off what both bands can do, so let’s see what we have here.
Collision have two songs. The sound is raw and brutal, with serrated vocals screaming and shouting out over speedy Grind. Both tracks are a fast and furious blend of Hardcore-influenced Grind and angry outbursts.
Both are good songs that have plenty of blastbeats mixed with moments of heavier restraint. The riffs are solid and the band seem to be having a blast.
I’m sold. Bring on The Rotted!
After Collision’s barrage of ferocity The Rotted pound out Rotted Fucking Earth which is a d-beat Punk-esque song with a good sound.
It has a drunken swagger and an aggressive temperament; it’s probably not something you want to mess with.
Simple-but-effective songwriting is powered by decent riffs and pure attitude. As Metal songs go it’s a veritable anthem.
Short but oh so sweet, this is a worthy split to add to your collection.
Secret Cutter are from the US and this is their début album. They play Sludge Metal with an added side of Hardcore/Punk.
The Secret Cutter sound is one of pure unbridled filth, fury and fucking heaviness. This is aggressive and nasty in only the way that Sludge and really pissed off Hardcore can be, and when combined like this it just sounds gloriously horrible!
Think of bands like Eyehategod, Serpent Eater, Ilsa, Corrupt Moral Altar, Wolvhammer, Enabler and the like; distil what makes these bands so interesting, nasty and individual and you’ll have a good idea of the murky swamp of urban decay that Secret Cutter dwell in.
I love albums like this – no messing around, just undiluted heaviness and aggression, whether that’s done at speed or slowly. It’s rough, raw and genuine.
The Sludge is strong and works well with the added Hardcore/Punk influence that the band have.
The songs have a good degree of variety in them for a short album, (only 26 minutes), and within the style they play. Each song is readily identifiable also, (no mean feat for any band), and show a creative force at the top of their game.
They have some great riffs on this release and the songs are surprisingly catchy for this type of band. Although catchy probably isn’t the right term. Infectious, maybe?
Special mention should go to the singer, who absolutely rages and tears his way through the songs as if it’s the last thing he’s ever going to do. His high pitched screams are the very incarnation of savagery.
This really is a top quality release that has so many plus points it’s silly. In many ways this is the best of heavy, nasty music, and this is one I’ll be listening to over and over again.
Iron Reagan are from the US and this is their second album. They play Metallic Crossover and feature members of bands such as Municipal Waste, Darkest Hour and Cannabis Corpse.
For those who are unfamiliar with your band – introduce yourself!
What are you listening to at the moment that you would like to recommend?
Where/how do you think you fit in with the wider Metal scene as a whole?
How do you write your songs?
After Collision’s barrage of ferocity The Rotted pound out Rotted Fucking Earth which is a d-beat Punk-esque song with a good sound.
Wonderbox Metal 