Punk – Page 29 – Wonderbox Metal

Grieved – Grieved (Review)

Grieved are a Swedish Hardcore band and this is their début album.

Grieved play dark Hardcore with plenty of venom and bite. This is a grim, nightmare vision of Punk and Metal, where destruction is commonplace and fear is everywhere.

Riffs are darkly emotive in a downbeat style and the songs take the positive energy of Hardcore and turn it in on itself, cannibalising and tearing at itself so that only the energy remains, inverted and corrupted. It is still a vibrant energy though, and these songs bristle with life and dark potency.

The singer screams out his words sounding like shattered glass given voice. His delivery is consistently engaging and has enough charisma and character despite essentially just shouting through these 29 minutes.

Across these songs the band show themselves to be adept at songwriting. These tracks are well-thought-out and have an emotive energy to them that’s undeniable. This is brought to the fore by the guitars and their interplay with the vocals, both of which are very satisfying in their own right.

There’s very little speed or urgency on this, it’s pretty much mainly mid-to-slow paced, revelling in its broodiness and building intent. When faster parts do appear, it’s like a coiled serpent has suddenly decided to strike.

I have really enjoyed this. I like that it focuses on songs and structure to deliver its negativity rather than overly relying on pure brutality or rage; this is more Born from Pain or Throwdown than Converge, although the positive message is entirely missing.

Highly recommended.

Prolefeed/War All the Time – Split (Review)

This is a split between two UK Grind/Hardcore bands.

Prolefeed start us off with 15 tracks of pissed-off Hardcore, tearing it up straight away with fast beats and a razor-sharp guitar sound.

Even though the songs are all short, sometimes they do slow the pace down and give vent to their groovier side. Apart from this, it’s all Hardcore-fury as the band play fast enough to vent their rage but rarely enter blast beat territory.

The riffs are full of confident swagger and attitude, embracing their heritage and really going for the throat.

The vocals are high shouts, angry and harsh, just as we like it.

It’s a more Hardcore/Punk take on the style as beloved of Extreme Noise Terror and early Cripple Bastards, mixed with an Old-School influence à la Minor Threat and the like.

After this we have War All the Time, who contribute the final 11 tracks to this violent split.

War All the Time have an uglier, fuzzier, filthier production than Prolefeed’s sharpness, and benefit from a rounder sound in this regard.

Other than that there are a lot of similarities between the bands; short songs, (although on average slightly longer for War All the Time), Punk fury, swagger, attitude, fast but-not-blast-beats, etc.

The singer has a deeper shout than that of Prolefeed; a throaty snarl shouting belligerently across the tracks.

Like their partners on this split, it’s an enjoyable listen. On balance, I think I prefer Prolefeed’s contribution though as there’s a little more variety in attack, but both sides hit the spot for a bit of grinding angry Hardcore violence.

Have a listen.

Extreme Noise Terror – Extreme Noise Terror (Review)

Extreme Noise Terror are a Grindcore band from the UK and this is their latest album.

This is a band that have been around for a long time and know a thing or two about ugly brutality. This is Old-School Grind with a firm Hardcore/Punk base that lends the tracks a nervy energy and attitude.

The songs are like short, violent bashes to the head. This is a good thing, honest. It’s raw, uncompromising and savagely delivered.

Each of the tracks is like a shot of adrenaline, with the high-octane Punk riffs and the pummelling drums acting in concert with the frenetic vocals to produce maniacally destructive music.

The dual-vocal assault is belligerent, hostile and unrelentingly antagonistic, frequently straddling the line between murderous and downright frenzied and chaotic.

One of the great things about a band like this though is just how catchy some of these songs are. Sure, they’ll never be a radio hit, (why would they want to be?), but in our rarefied world of Extreme Metal these songs have more hooks than most.

30 years (!) into their career and it’s heartening to see a band like this still so vital and vibrant. Turn up the volume and blast this out for all it’s worth.

Subterror – Antropomortum (Review)

This is the first EP from Brazilian Death Metal band Subterror.

Subterror play ugly, primitive Death Metal with elements of Grindcore/Crust.

This is raging and brutal music straight from the underground that tears through the 24 minutes on offer here like a frenzied animal looking for meat. There’s a primordial Metal power to Subterror’s vicious assault and they channel this with shotgun precision so that everyone knows not to mess with them.

This is not all speed and bluster though; Antropomortum is more like a rabid, Crusty Bolt Thrower/Jungle Rot than it is some easily-dismissed blastfest. Sure, the band can ramp up the speed when they need to, but they have a very good line in rolling, mid-paced destruction as well.

The singer has a throaty growl that is just as rough as the music. With the dirty production of the songs his voice fits perfectly and much satisfaction is gained from his efforts.

There’s a Punky energy that drives these songs forward, and Antropomortum is a very pleasing listen.

Filth and fury.

Årabrot – You Bunch of Idiots (Review)

Årabrot are from Norway and this is their latest EP. They play Noise-Rock.

I have no idea what’s going on in the album cover, but it’s very striking nonetheless. Combined with the name of the EP, which I love, this is something I was itching to listen to. Having never encountered Årabrot before I was unsure what to expect.

It starts off with Cannibal Manifesto, which is a dramatic spoken word performance. I’m not a fan of this kind of stuff, so this is not a good start.

However, once you get past this pointless intro track and onto the first song proper, Time to Pull the Sticks, things are looking up.

Here we have some charismatic Rock with some nice Therapy?-esque riffs and vocals that carry high performance levels.

The music is Experimental Rock that still manages to be catchy and memorable. The songs have Punk undertones and a nervous energy to them.

I hear elements of bands like Therapy? and Smashing Pumpkins mixed up with their own brand of Rock ‘n’ Roll. There’s even some Progressive Rock influences, especially on the last song It’s Hot Drop It.

Once you get past the first track, this is a very enjoyable collection of songs and is even better than I was hoping for.

Check them out.

Allfather – No Gods. No Masters. (Review)

Allfather are from the UK and this is their début release of Hardcore/Sludge.

Allfather seem to have cornered the market on Punked-up Metallic discontent. They’re pissed off and have come to put the boot in, big style.

This is underground and raw; music that’s ready for a scrap and happy to get its hands dirty.

The songs on this short EP are tight balls of fury with guitars that fall halfway between murky Sludge Metal and Hardcore anger. Energetic and heavy riffs make up the bulk of this release and there’s no let up in the 11 minutes playing time.

Allfather do heavy very well, but they also write actual songs; these tracks have a good flow to them and are quite catchy and memorable. This is not heaviness just for the sake of it; this music is focused and directed so that the compositions have meaning and purpose.

An enjoyable and promising EP. The UK seems to excel at this kind of dirty, gritty Metal. More please.

A cross between elements of Crowbar, Gutworm, dBh, Raging Speedhorn, Labrat and the like.

Seneron – Parasites and Poets (Review)

Seneron are from Northern Ireland and this is their début album. They play Rock.

Infusing their Rock with Grunge and Punk, Seneron have produced a richly melodic 28 minutes of enjoyable music.

Not wildly dissimilar from fellow Irish bands Therapy? and, (in particular), Kerbdog; Seneron inhabit the same stylistic space as these heavy-hitters. Add in bit of Helmet, Foo Fighters and…yes, Seneron would have fit in very well in the early 90s.

The songs are catchy, memorable and easy to digest. It’s very easy listening, and I mean that in a good way. You can just turn this on and zone out to the infectious melodies. Before you know it, you’re rocking around in your seat and singing along with rawkus abandon. Or something.

The songs are short and sweet, never outstaying their welcome. Parasites and Poets succeeds in being very easy to like and very easy to recommend.

The songs are well-crafted sugar-coated slices of Rock. The guitars are pleasingly loud though and it’s to Seneron’s credit that they’ve given their guitarist permission to add a bit of a bite to his attack. Compared to most of the stuff on this site you wouldn’t call it aggressive, but it’s not a passive, weak delivery like a lot of this type of music thinks it can get away with.

A thoroughly enjoyable album. Check out Seneron.

Ilsa – The Felon’s Claw (Review)

Ilsa are a Sludge Metal band from the US, and this is their fourth album.

I’m a huge fan of Ilsa’s last album Intoxicantations. It’s such an excellent album with an immense sound that it’s been a firm favourite of mine since I first reviewed it. To say I was excited when this new release popped into my inbox was an understatement.

This is filthy, unpleasant music that only true Metal fans could like. It’s horrendously ugly and disgustingly depraved and we fucking love it that way. Ilsa are masters of their formidable blend of Sludge, Doom, Crust and Punk.

They retain their heavier-than-Hell sound and it’s great to hear them just crash into the first track Oubliette without any preamble.

The vocals are still snarling, vicious beasts that seem to rend and tear their way through the playing time. This attitude is apparent from the very first rabid bark and the intensity is kept up throughout all 48 minutes.

Once more, each song has its own identity and character. This is a complete album, holistically, but like Intoxicantations, The Felon’s Claw is made up of individually identifiable songs. So many bands are incapable of this, for some reason, so it’s great when you can put an album on randomly and it’s easy to identify what song is playing and where it sits in the running order. After a few spins, of course.

On this new release Ilsa sound a bit slower and groovier than their last outing. They still step up the speed on occasion, but overall the Doom/Sludge side of their sound is more prevalent. With riffs that could capsize ocean liners, Ilsa populate their disgusting landscape with ugly landmarks that you can’t help but stare at in wonder.

Well, I’m extremely pleased with what the band have produced here. Ilsa have not disappointed.

There’s no reason, none whatsoever, for you to not get this.

Analkholic – After Party – Shit Stinks (Review)

Analkaholic are from New Caledonia and play Grindcore. This is their début album.

Analkholic play utterly extreme Goregrind in the Regurgitate style, and they do it with copious amounts of bodily fluids and an excess of brutality.

The songs are short and single-minded in their approach to Grind. This is not a band who experiment or innovate, this is a band who want to find the limits of extremity and then go beyond them.

Blistering blast beats and hyper-aggressive guitars burst from the speakers to beat you senseless. The band realise the danger of becoming one-dimensional too, so it’s not all played at full-speed; they also include sections that are more Punk-oriented or groovy in their assault.

The guttural pig-noise grunts are a thing of depraved torture and the singer sounds like he’s a slaughtered animal somehow stuck between life and death at the moment of agony. I’m not always a massive fan of this kind of vocal style, but here it fits the music so well and it just works.

These tracks are actually quite well written. I say “actually” as it’s easy to write off music like this as mindless brutality and be done with it. Of course, there is that element of their sound for sure, but there are also some pretty decent riffs and vocal patterns on this release; rather than just covering themselves in human waste and bashing the instruments as hard as they can, (which I’m sure they do from time to time), Analkholic seem to know what they’re actually doing. There are some really good bass parts on the album too, which is always a pleasure to hear.

A disgustingly wet and warm way to spend 27 minutes. Give them a listen and get ready to Grind one out.

The Dead Goats – Don’t Go in the Tomb (Review)

The Dead Goats are a Death Metal band from Poland and this is their latest EP.

This short sub-12 minite EP features two original songs and a Repulsion cover.

As you can probably tell from the band logo, this is Death Metal of the definite Swedish variety.

Sporting a proper chainsaw sound, The Dead Goats proceed to impress with their mastery of this particular sub-genre.

Their take on the style is one that has a nice filthy Punk undertone and vocals that are slightly higher than the norm but still as nasty as Hell.

This is high-energy, high-excitement Swedish Death Metal that relies less on macabre melodies and groove than it does belligerent attitude and steamroller aggression.

Like all Swedish-styled Death Metal though the emphasis is on songs, and songs we get; simple but catchy, professionally performed, yet still reeking of the crypt.

The higher vocals and general elevated-aggression of these songs does mark them as a little different from the standard Swedish Death Metal band and all-in-all this is firmly in their favour.

This is a very impressive little EP. Make sure you get your hands on this and support the underground.