SHOW REVIEW: Death Grips Live At Terminal 5

   
       If you took 15 different people, and asked each person "how would you describe death grips?" you would get some varying responses to say the least. This decade has been a time of major experimentation and innovation for hip hop as a whole, with artists like Kanye West, Kendrick Lamar, Frank Ocean, and many MANY more creating some of the most critically acclaimed, artistically sound and well-made rap mainstream rap music in recent memory, however while many artists have managed to (for better or for worse) streamline their sound and embrace mainstream sensibilities, the Sacramento trio Death Grips have avoided falling under an umbrella and have stayed true to themselves, both as artists and as musicians.
      With their unique blend of industrial, punk, and hip hop music, as well as their frequent use of samplings and alternative instrumentation they've become somewhat of a phenomenon. So when I heard Death Grips were playing NYC soon I knew I had to get a ticket. Going into it, numerous friends of mine recalled their experiences of seeing Death Grips live. The consensus seemed to be that the show was gonna be a pretty intense, violent, and loud affair and I am in no place to disagree. I walked out of that show with a thousand-yard stare on my face, in the words of my friend I looked like I had just "walked in on my parents having sex."
      The band opened with the fantastic Government Plates track Whatever I Want (Fuck Who's Watching) and quickly displayed that the energy present on their records is just as prominent live, as the band stormed through all twenty-five songs with no intermissions or pauses. The band has always been extremely focused and masterful when it comes to their craft and that same focus is visible in their live shows. They showed no restraint when it came to the songs they played either, if most bands had to play twenty-five songs they would probably play some shorter songs or softer songs to space it out and conserve energy, but death grips went in the complete opposite directions they played some of their heaviest and most aggressive tracks like Hot Head and I Break Mirrors With My Face In The United States.
      The crowd was incredibly invested, for a show that so intense and crowded, few shows I've been to have had such a connected, familial vibe. People all around were helping each other find their lost items or pulling them up if they fell. Even the dudes pitting weren't out for blood, everyone was just having fun which seems to be a factor lost upon many people at shows nowadays.
     Overall, this might be the most entertaining show I've ever been to, or at the very least the most entertaining show I've been to this year. Outside of a few minor setlist tweaks I would say the show was solid front to back.

Overall Rating: 9.5/10

ALBUM REVIEW: INIQUITOUS BY CORTEXIPHAN

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Iniquitous- grossly unfair or morally wrong.

Throughout our lives we will continue to face iniquity from every front- Our families, our friends, our jobs, even our Churches. Hell, Tarantino even used the concept as a basis for Pulp Fiction. You know the old adages. "Life's not fair." "Life's a bitch, and then you die."  Nobody has seemed to channel their own experiences of iniquity so precisely, so poetically as Texan/Italian technical death metal outfit Cortexiphan's debut full-length, Iniquitous.

After exploding onto the internet Tech Death scene in 2012 with the bombastic, powerful debut ep, Anathema: The Murk. The Scorn. The Guilt., and a slew of lineup changes (including the addition of Italian bassist Nicolo Paracchini, formerly of Novara) and the introduction of new vocalist and overall deathcore juggernaut Andrew Patterson, the group has reconvened to put out 2016's most flawless metal alum yet.  Adding influences from everything, from smooth, buttery acoustic guitars to absolutely mind boggling progressive metal, Iniquitous is sure to have even the most hardened metal elitists shaving their neckbeards and headbanging into oblivion- air guitar solos and all. 

While the lyrics to Anathema were more or less based solely on horror films, the lyrics on this new project seem to tie directly into the title and theme of the album.  While "Son of Sam" draws influence from an actual serial murderer (look him up, dude is FUCKED), songs like the title track and "The Lunatic Notion" see Patterson at his angriest and most political, pointing out the misdeeds and inhuman actions taken by the nation's powerful and elite politicians and corporations.  While Lunatic Notion deals with the dynamic of the 99% vs the 1%, the title track redirects that outrage at organized religion, in this case, radical Islam.  While being reminiscent of but not a direct rip off of Holy War by Thy Art Is Murder, Patterson grunts and shrieks his message home- that even the most peaceful communities can be corrupted by religious "prophecies". Let it not be said that Patterson strays too far from the themes set up by his predecessor, however, as tracks like Convergence and The Valley of the Dark Lords are rife with occultist and horror themes that would sound over-the-top to even the most notorious Black and Death Metal bands alike, albeit in the best way possible.  

While previous vocalist/lyricist Dixon Jong was a powerhouse in his own right, he has nothing on newcomer Andrew Patterson. Throughout each of the twelve towering tracks on Iniquitous, Patterson shines through, adding more heft and grit to every bark, every growl, every shriek, every yell he lets loose from his throat.  While tracks like opener The Big Sleep and Liquid see him more subdued, using more of his lower register than anything else, songs like Son of Sam (which happens to be my personal favorite on the album) and Man Made Plague are, simply put, stunning examples of his absolutely intimidating vocal range.  Patterson channels the likes of Deathcore and Death Metal legends such as Adam Warren, Tyler Shelton, George Fisher, and the late Mitch Lucker all while giving a unique and standout twist on the vocal styles of the four previously mentioned.  His standout performance on this new album is easily Son of Sam.  Seriously.  Listen to that fucking song.

Where Patterson is the voice and the verse of Cortexiphan, Guitarist/producer Steven Rose and bassist Nicolo Paracchini are the gut and the emotion. Every last second of this album is choc-full of dizzying leads, skin-shredding solos, ruthless riffing, and MONSTROUS drumming, courtesy of Rose's studio know-how.  For each of the twelve titans that comprise Iniquitous, Rose shows the world what he's truly made of.  From his somber, sugary acoustic playing in "The Big Sleep" to his mind-numbing speed in Man Made Plague, Rose shreds through the listener's brain, reducing it to a grey, murky mess.  Every song is performed flawlessly, every note hits harder than the last, every riff and lead harmony as perplexing as can be.  Songs like the title track and album closer "Great Human Woe" are his standout performances, as here, Rose shows his peers his metaphorical testicles, and promptly smears them across the collective face of the new tech death scene.  Assisting Rose in his quest to glory is bassist Paracchini, the sole non-american member of the band.  While Rose is a fretboard wizard in his own right, Paracchini compliments him with some of the most technically complex and inventive bass playing I've ever had the pleasure of hearing. Combining a crisp, thick tone with playing that sounds like he has ten fingers on each hand, Paracchini adds extra heft and aggression to each of Rose's riffs, filling them out in the most mechanically precise way possible.  Songs like the title track and "Convergence" see him straying from the root notes in order to stand out in the mix, giving some of the most creative bass licks the metal world has seen since Master of Puppets was released thirty years ago.  Son of Sam and the Valley of the Dark Lords see him at his most subdued, although that is not at all a bad thing, as his playing is perfectly in sync with the perplexing speed of Rose's riffs.  These two masters of the metal riff provide the catchiest tech death instrumentation to come out in over a decade.

While people outside of the Death Metal scene may not be too keen on Cortexiphan's peers, they'd be foolish to not give this project a spin.  From Patterson's unholy vocals to Rose and Paracchini's terrifying technical prowess, metal snobs will be hard pressed to find a single thing they dislike about this new record. The world isn't fair.  Cortexiphan is here to guide you to the truth.  Take heed.

RATING: 5 out of 5 strings popping mid-solo.

FFO: Fallujah, the Faceless, the Black Dahlia Murder

you can find Cortexiphan at:

https://www.facebook.com/CortexiphanMetal

cortexiphan.bandcamp.com

REVIEW: Necropia - Creation Of Sin

Long Island has a lot of great bands, past and present, and this is one of the great ones from today's melodic death metal/deathcore scene. Necropia is a 5 piece act, and I recently even had the pleasure of hearing them play live at a battle of the bands, in which they blew me away and all expectations I had of them, as I did in fact hear quite a bit about them prior to seeing them.
 Now, I've admittedly been out of touch with the death metal world, it's not exactly what I gravitate to when I choose to listen to something, but this record carries over elements of deathcore and technical stuff that I totally vibe with. I think that is what makes this record so great, as it is accessable to a few different types of metal fans, whether it be a death metal fan, a tech death fan, a melodeath fan or even a deathcore fan. So before I pick this release apart and look at it's insides, I can say that this release is for fans of bands such as Fallujah, The Black Dahlia Murder, and other bands in those genres.
 So, instrumentally this is an incredible release from Necropia, with some really, for lack of a better term, face melting riffs, and the guitars have an incredibly nasty tone. I'm particularly partial to these guitar parts because they remind me alot of even Meshuggah at some points, the aforementioned being one of my favorites in metal. Not to mention some pretty standard for the genre tremolo picking parts that sound gorgeous.
 The bass tone is very solid, and I can definitely vibe with it, and the drums are very solid as well. Vocally, this release is very diverse, with a range of different styles being heard from death metal sounding vocals from bands like Goatwhore, to higher, almost black metal styled vocals. So overall, this is a great release from Necropia, and I hope to see them more often, especially at the gig they'll be playing with The Acacia Strain later on in August!

FFO: Goatwhore, Fallujah, TBDM, ect ect.

SCORE- 8/10

Listen here
Drop them a like on Facebook

ALBUM REVIEW-Magma, By Gojira

 
  For those of you that don't know, a few weeks back I did a review of Gojira's record "From Mars To Sirius" and it ended up getting one of the highest ratings I've ever assigned, something that may be surprising to some of you is that that record was my introduction to the band and I've been a huge fan ever since. So when I heard they were making a new album, I was ridiculously excited (especially after hearing one of their newer singles Silvera).
To give you guys who are unfamiliar some basic info, Gojira are a French metal band who started around 1996 and are known for their environmentally charged lyrics, and their unique blend of death, groove, and progressive metal.
Their second full length record on Roadrunner records, "Magma" manages to be every bit as solid as it's predecessors. The record is unique in that it's the bands shortest record, focusing less on the over the top, proggy stylings of past releases and focusing more on being brash, visceral, and ear splittingly heavy.
Instead of starting off on a heavy note though, the band opens with "The Shooting Star", a fantastic song with an almost tantalizing quality and a rarely straightforward vocal performance (as opposed to the frantic vocal stylings of a song like stranded).
In terms of lyricism it doesn't differ much from prior releases, that said though it's full of numerous interesting lyrics focusing on subjects like change, politics, life, death, and environmentalism. Musically, it covers a wide array of metal stylings with tracks like yellow stone giving off an almost doom metal like feel. Some tracks throughout giving off an almost hazy, stoner metal like vibe (Magma almost sounding like it could be off a Kyuss album).
The vocals are as rough and brutal as ever, you can almost hear the emotion and hate in Joe Duplantier's vocals. I have very little negative to say about this record, and while yes it's shorter than previous releases and not exactly reinventing the wheel stylistically or lyrically, the band have created another solid record with heavy instrumentation and just enough differentiation to attract new fans and satisfy longtime fans.


Sidenotes: First album since relocating to New York, First album recorded in the bands personal studio.
Highlight Tracks: Silvera, Magma, Stranded
Overall Rating: 8.4/10

INTERVIEW- Joshua Alvarez of the "Thank You For Existing" Project

Not too long ago I got a chance to meet Joshua at a show in Amityville, from there, I saw on his Facebook that he had this project going on in the scene called Thank You For Existing and I had to know more about it. That being said, here's a quick little interview I did about it with him, and shout out to him for doing something so positive.

PMR- So, what exactly is the “Thank you for Existing” project, and how did you go about starting it? Joshua- The "thank you for existing" project is a project based mainly on reminding people that they are matter. They are significant, and they are important. Just as much as everyone else in this world. And what truly inspired me to create this project was because I had been going through depression for most of my childhood and during that time I had felt invisible, worthless, and alone. And I would never want anyone to feel like that.

PMR-I see you’ve reached out to people in the scene at large for this, have you had a positive response to it thus far? Joshua- Yes, I have had a positive response up to this point for my "thank you for my existing" project mainly because I have told everyone that I meet that it is a project for mental health awareness, especially for individuals who are struggling with depression and suicidal thoughts.

PMR- What artists have you reached out to for this project, and how has their response been? Joshua- Artists whom I've reached out to for this project are in from the bands Convictions and Versus. And when we first met at one of their shows together in New York City, they were all very inspired and supportive of what I was doing. As well as the message that I was spreading because they themselves all are on the same journey to helping create a much more loving society. And we are currently thinking of more ideas on how we can all continue to reach out to everyone.

PMR- What does hardcore/metal music mean to you, I mean like, the culture and the community itself. Joshua- Hardcore/metal music absolutely means the world to me especially because it was and still is one of the many things that continues to help me through my lowest of times. The culture is beautiful because I think of hardcore/metal as it's own form of art. It's a way of expressing yourself through different kinds of emotions through music, and that's something that you wouldn't normally do in the outside world today. It's about feeling completely safe, comfortable, happy, and free. It's about sharing your passion with everyone else. And I could say the same about the community, as well. It's about being who you truly want to be, and never allowing anyone to take that away from you. PMR-Where do you plan on taking this project, and do you have any plans to expand it? Joshua- I plan on continuing to take this project to greater heights, and I plan on continuing to help every single person out there who is struggling in their way because I believe that is required to constantly keep reminding each other that we matter and we are valued. So, this project is a message that I am going to be pursuing for the rest of my life. And the foundation of this project is to actually help inspire each and every single person to want stand out and to want make a difference themselves. The beginning to creating a better world begins with every one of us. And if I am capable of standing out, then so can you. You are just as strong as I am.

Always stand up for what you believe in, no matter who you are or where you come from. Your voice is just as important as everyone else's voice. Use it to build a better world.

"It takes one person to make a difference, and many people to change the world." PMR- Do you have any words of encouragement for anyone else who may want to do something like this project you are pursuing?

Joshua- All I would truly want to recommend for anyone who is beginning a project that is similar to the "thank you for existing" project, is to remember to always love yourself and to always believe in yourself, because you cannot give someone something which you do not possess. Once we love ourselves, and once we appreciate ourselves then we can all share that love and appreciation with humanity. It all begins with us. Don't ever give up, and don't ever stop believing in yourself. You are capable of doing anything that you want in this world, as long as you have a positive mindset, have a passion and have hope. Finally, Joshua had a few words for me (Scott) after the interview, and they were truly heartwarming Joshua- And with that being said, I just want to thank you Scott for such a wonderful interview. I absolutely loved answering these questions and sincerely appreciate you offering to interview me about why go out of my way to share the "thank you for existing" sign with the world. Hope begins with each and every one of us. Thanks again to Joshua for answering our questions, and for spreading positivity through the scene at large, keep at it buddy!

ALBUM REVIEW: WITCH HUNT BY WICKED WORLD

Burn the witch.  Send her to the gallows.  She is unholy.  She is Satan's pawn, there is no good in her.

You hear the townspeople talking, but you don't believe them.  After all, you love her.  You'd do anything for her.  You'd leave your family, your job, your life.  You would kill for her.  You would kill yourself for her.  You would die.  For her.  Always for her.

This is true love, this is the Witch Hunt.

The panic sets in.

Everything you know about your lover is a lie.  She is not the kind, beautiful creature you met, no. Instead you see a disfigured, mangled caricature of the woman you love.  Her once shimmering hair now seems more akin to a blinding fire, her laugh seems less like purity and more like nails scarping a chalkboard, and her voice is no longer the soothing, angelic song it was once, instead there is hatred and hell fire in its place.

She is the witch.

She is the focus of the new ep from Wisconsin resident death dealers, WICKED WORLD.  After bursting onto the heavy music scene with 2015's murderous mix, As I Decay, WICKED WORLD is back, and they're better, more emotional, more honest, more broken.  Comprised of vocalist Alex Miller, bassist/vocalist Matthew Tucholcke, guitarist Chris Easton, and drummer Josh Kanute, WICKED WORLD has proven yet again to be deathcore's premiere story tellers.

The panic sets in.

Opening with the ominous, oppressive funeral bells of the Salem days, opening track Panic effortlessly sets the tone of the seven track slab of pure, unadulterated sorrow that is Witch Hunt. Opening the album with the lyrics telling a story of a man who fell in love with evil in all her beauty, the concept fleshes out perfectly with lyrics comparing heaven to her embrace, and hell to her absence.  The character drives his loss like nails into the forehead of the listener, warning of the dangers of a toxic love, of falling in love with a witch.  "Purgatory exists for you and me. Forever within, forever without" captures the theme perfectly, serving as a reminder that even the most torn of lovers can still exist in harmony, even if it's in eternal limbo.

While Panic is an introduction, a summary of things to come, follow up track WATCHYOUSLEEP is the true start of the story.  Outlining the relationship between man and witch, the song talks of losing sleep over the longing to be near her, and the nightmares she leaves in her wake.  No matter how desperately the man wishes to be free of her grip for one night, he can never escape her.  Driven home by Kanute's pin-point precision on his bass and snare drums, as well as Easton and Tucholke's start/stop groove and chugging, every syllable becomes more like a nail, slowly being hammered into the listener's pysche, painting a vivid portrait of the witch's power over her lover.  Each second is coated in muk, each riff is slathered in self-loathing, every crack of the snare more intense than the last.  Featuring a guest spot from powerviolence royalty Jon Hoffman (Weekend Nachos), WATCHYOUSLEEP is the perfect first chapter of this putrid novel.  

Picking up where WATCHYOUSLEEP left off, Crowd of Horns furthers the plot. Staying in the same first person narrative, the character professes his love for the witch, and admits that he has been trapped by her magic, doomed to rot unless he sacrifices her to God above.  Lyrically and musically this is the most emotionally descriptive song on the album.   With Miller's barks more grisly and enraged and his highs more pained than ever, he effortlessly strokes the canvas to paint a picture of pure insanity over his own refusal to accept the evil.  Lyrics like "I saw your face and it looked like God's, I looked at my sins and it looked like us" further drive this message home, as the character seems to come to terms with the fact that while his lover is beautiful, she is consumed with the darkness and he is powerless to save her.  Promising to cleanse the world of filth, the character relents and sacrifices her to purify the old town of Salem, and bring about Armageddon.  He admits there is no hope, and as the slam breaks in (and BOY is it beefy), the wicked are washed away. The witch is dead, and no love can bring her back.

The next track, Burn Victim, shifts the narrative from the desire to fix a broken relationship to that of a man lamenting his lost love and being plagued by the apparition of his former lover.  Still feeling her breath on his neck and comparing it to hot ash,  comparing her lips to fire and her love to falling from grace, the man slips into a deep, desperate depression.  Unable to break free the man feels like his bed is a coffin, one the witch happily perches upon, her ghost tormenting the man for what he had done.  Musically speaking this is the weakest track on the album, with the drumming seemingly by the numbers, however that is not to say it detracts from the album as a whole- rather, it is the perfect interlude, shifting the setting of the story from a toxic relationship to a man slipping away from reality more and more as time goes on.  The character  finally caves and wishes for death, with the Kanute's barbaric drumming slowly tightening the noose around the listener's throat.

From here we are moved into Dogmother. Opening with a riff straight out of Mayhem's cookbook of black metal mastery, the song is much more somber than the rest.  While Easton and Tucholke melodically weave a web of pure despair, Kanute creeps below, offering a percussive display of subtle, but murderous, technical prowess, with each ping of the ride cymbal sounding more akin to the sky falling from the heaven's.  This track is Miller's standout performance, making his suffering and unmitigated anguish shine through with every venomous bark he spits out.  It is here that the listener truly begins to understand that the character never wanted to betray his beloved, and had actually become infatuated with the pain she brought him and the terror she plagued Salem with.  Jason Lionel Frazier (of BeheadingTheTraitor and Choke notoriety) makes a brief, but effective appearnce here. Blending perfectly with Miller, he barks and yells his way in time with the band, adding the voice of yet another broken lover to the frenzy.

Where Dogmother was a more melodic and somber trek, penultimate track PACK OF TEETH is straight forward aggression and anger in a pure, raw state.  Directing the self-loathing of the last five tracks outward, Miller makes no attempt to hide his grim intentions. "I'll make you wish you had an extra pack of teeth" exemplifies this perfectly, as the line gives way immediately for Andrew Hileman of I AM to make his appearance, with grisly, guttural bellows that shake the very foundation of the earth.  Refusing to let the witch control him any longer, Miller ends the song with the lyrics "Your bite won't break my skin. Shatter.", reminding us all that there is no evil too strong to be overcome, as long as you want it bad enough.

But does the character of the story want to move on?  Album closer I Am the Grey doesn't think so.  Easily the most epic and theatrical song of the album, the song tells us the ending of the story- the character never recovered.  He never loved again.  Instead, he allowed the void to consume him, the evil took over.  Such a selfish way to live, such a selfless way to die.  The only way out is in a wooden bed.  The character realizes the woman he loves, while pure evil, is God, and he cannot break away from her vile, poisonous love.  As the album closes with the lyrics "I'm finally one with God,  I am the Grey", the character gives in to his desire and kills himself, slowly descending to purgatory, forever to remain with the Witch.  As the album closes, the bells are heard again- everything is clear.  The story is repeated, we understand how the character came to be in his eternal place of suffering.  Where Heaven is her arms, Hell is her absence, and Purgatory is his place to be with his lover, until the end of days.  The Witch has claimed another hopeless, longing soul.  As the album loops into itself, the story ends, and the listener is left with a hole in their chest, and a sudden realization that nothing is ever what it seems.

Overall, this album brings new life into a genre known for constant stagnation.  For every bitter grunt from Miller's mouth, Easton creeps behind, with riffs so evil, so hateful, so grotesque that you feel the arms of the one below embracing you.  But it would be all for not if it weren't for Kunate's outright insane drumming.  Giving each riff the extra punch it needs to really stand out, Kunate and Tucholke blend seamlessly, providing the low end thunder that makes the atmosphere of this seven-track album as suffocating and oppressive as it possibly can be.  Each track is memorable, with every song adding new emotion to the mix, further engrossing the listener, leaving them speechless every single time.  Even the guest spots are perfect, as each guest vocalist has the perfect voice to compliment Miller's mental decay.

The witch is coming.  Prepare for the hunt.

RATING: Five out of Five Innocents Burned in the name of Christ

FFO: Despised Icon, Drowning, Death

Witch Hunt drops 6/24 through Innerstrength Records

check out WICKED WORLD at

https://www.facebook.com/wickedworldwi

REVIEW: DEPRIVATION SPLIT BY INTROVERT X IRRITA

                                 

Duality.

From the moment human beings stood upright for the first time so many millions of years ago, we as a species have had an obsession with the concept of this/that scenarios, focusing on dichotomy and oppositions.  You've heard the old sayings.  Opposites attract.  Negativity needs positivity.  There is no peace without war, no life without death, no sorrow without rage.

This concept has manifested itself once again, this time in the form of the spirit crushing split from NJ/Pa's Irrita and Michigan/Pennsylvania internet project Introvert.  These two groups come together to offer heavy music's most emotionally raw release of the last five years, Deprivation.

From the opening seconds of Introvert's half of the split, intro track Things that Rhyme with Noose, vocalist Connor Welsh makes it clear what has hurt him- everyone and everything.  Welsh screams "When they think of me, I hope they see your face.  That's the only real thing that ever mattered anyway." Fueled by multi instrumentalist Eric Fletcher's eerie soundbites and downright destructive fretwork, every word hits the listener harder and harder, leaving them a broken shell, begging for love or death.  The song is a reminder that even the ones you give your heart to will leave you empty, with your head below the undertow.  It is a bitter admission of longing to move on but not wanting to let go.  "The last thing I want is you on my mind" is a sentiment we've all felt, but nobody drives the point home like Welsh.  And on that note, let's talk about the band for a minute.  Introvert is comprised of vocalist and drummer Connor Welsh and multi-instrumentalist Eric Fletcher.  For every forlorn yelp from Welsh's mouth, Fletcher lurks below, supplying the perfect canvas of bending and chugs to make the listener drown in a sea of murky, malicious melancholy.  "So tell me, are you warmer at his side than you ever were at mine? I could write a million one-liners pointing the fingers at you, but the sad sad truth is I still don't know what to do".  From the opening seconds of Sad Max 2: Forlorn Road, Welsh and Fletcher have summarized the last year of their lives, down to the last depressive, demoralizing detail.  Fans of Abjection and Self-Helpless rejoice, because Introvert toned down the Yuth Forever worship present on those releases to expand on a unique and revitalized sound that would make Freud seek therapy for every broken, bitter thought he just had drilled into his brain. From the very beginning the listener is suffocated in pure, unmitigated anguish, hearing the soundtrack to a failed relationship that left both parties mere parodies of their former selves.  

The last track of Introvert's half is indeed unique.  Unlike most split eps, where there's a clear line between the two bands, Introvert and Irrita yet again look at the traditional way of things, and promptly give it the finger.  Not ones for subtlety, track 3, aptly titled Gray actually flows from Introvert's side of the coin to Irrita's.  In other words, the two bands share the track, serving as a reminder that sadness and hatred are just as much the same as they are different.  Starting off with a sinister, evil groove, and dropping into unholy aggression and ruthless riffing, Introvert lets go of the reigns, truly letting the other half begin.  From the moment Irrita vocalist Daimien Hartranft lets loose with his grisly bellows (which are very reminiscent of genre titans Feign and REX), the listener understands that this is no mere walk in the park on a rainy day- no.  This is a walk through the hellish mind of two men who have entirely given up on themselves and everyone around them. 

Gray serves as the perfect introduction to Irrita's half of the split, as from there, their songs get progressively angrier and slower, focusing less on a suffocating atmosphere in favor of outright destructive violence.  This is exemplified in the opening lyrics to Unconscious, with "Follow me now into the darkness, I will show you light".  That light comes in the form of guitarist David Thomas, bassist Alex Baker, and drummer Ben Avila.  For every hate-filled bark and grunt from Hartranft, Thomas follows suit with dissonant chugging hard enough to smash clean through the most powerful psyche.  Every slam, every lead, every riff brings the listener closer and closer to the boiling point.  Adding to the frenzy is Baker, who compliments Thomas with the murkiest, most thunderous bass tone I've heard in years. Each chug is given an extra bit of heft to it, every slam more oppressive than the last, every breakdown as terrifying as Hell itself.  But of course, all their efforts would be in vein if it weren't for Avila.  Playing along perfectly with his bandmates, Avila brings disgust to a physical plane.   Each and every thud of the bass drum, every single crack and ping of the snare adds more and more fuel to the fire that is Irrita.  Where Unconcious is the band giving up on life, album closer Ghoul is the band directing that hatred and loathing outward, warning the listener of what is to come.  Think of Unconcious as the band stepping to the ledge, and Ghoul as the last, bitter, venom filled cry for help before jumping to their doom.  Ending with a breakdown evil enough to shake Lucifer himself out of sleep, the song outlines the theme of the ep perfectly: there is no hope, there is no love, there is no happiness, there is only Deprivation. "All alone/Nothing Left/Fade to black/dead and gone" are the last words the listener hears before the reaper comes to collect.

All in all, this album is absolutely perfect.  There isn't a dull or repetitive moment, no lackluster vocal performance, no clearly-edited-to-shit instrumental work, no cheesy lyrical content. Both bands serve their purpose with precision- Introvert breaks the listener's heart, and Irrita urges the listener to give in and give up. Sadness, anxiety, hatred, rage, self-loathing, anguish, All of which are personified and given new meaning.  There are bad people in the world.  There are bad things happening.  There is Deprivation.

Introvert/Irrita: Everyone Dies.

INTROVERT RATING: Five out of Five burned photographs of ex lovers

FFO: Sworn In, Yuth Forever, Barrier

IRRITA RATING: Five out of Five loaded bullets ready to pierce your skull

FFO: xKINGx, REX, Feign

Deprivation drops 6/10 through Chugcore Promotions

Check out the bands on facebook

https://www.facebook.com/IrritaBandOFFICIAL

https://www.facebook.com/Introverthardcore/

SHOW REVIEW: Against Me! ft. July Talk

Just the other day, I got the chance to attend an Against Me! gig at Webster Hall. The show itself was apart of the Governors Ball music festival, since the show was called "Govs Ball After Dark Presents". The show started just around ten with opening act July Talk starting. July Talk are a Canadian blues rock/alt rock band from Toronto, and I have to say that I wholeheartedly enjoyed their set. Their sound was very southern influenced but had indie rock hints to it as well. I'd say that this band is for fans of bands such as Kings of Leon, or Alabama Shakes to a degree. One of my favorite tracks they played was one of their newest ones entitled Push and Pull. Overall, an enjoyable set by an incredibly talented band, one that I'd highly recommend listening to (A link will be posted below.)
 After a wait, where I mingled with the crowd for a while, Against Me! went on.  Now, they came out and ripped right into the crowd with their first song, I Was a Teenage Anarchist, and with that the show, and the crowd got really, REALLY into it. People were pushing each other around, singing along and crowd surfing almost all at once. Laura Jane Grace, their frontwoman, didn't banter a whole lot on stage, and they went song into song, playing such hits as 333, True Trans Soul Rebel, Transgender Dysphoria Blues, and Thrash Unreal.
 On a person note, I was brought to tears by True Trans Soul Rebel, and also during Thrash Unreal, for personal reasons for the first, but the latter because of the emotional tone of the song, as our writer John has told me before. Overall, this show was one hell of an experience, and a big thanks to July Talk and of course, Against Me! for making it such an enjoyable and amazing experience.


July Talk- 6/10

Against Me!- 9/10

Overall, 9/10

TRACK REVIEW- Closer to Hell by Bodysnatcher

BAND: BODYSNATCHER
TRACK: CLOSER TO HELL [FEAT. CHRIS WHITED OF KING CONQUER]



"YO, WHAT THE FUCK IS UP? BODYSNATCHER TWO THOUSAND AND SIXTEEN, BRING BACK THE FUCKING VIOLENCE"

  With an introduction like that, little mystery can be left as to exactly how vicious the next four minutes will be.  Within seconds, you can already feel the hatred, the disgust, the unbridled, unadulterated rage vocalist Kyle Medina has been feeling since the release of the band's debut, Abandonment, in early 2015.   Never ones to shy away from relentless, ruthless riffage, the band has managed to capture the pure emotion put forth on Abandonment and expand on it one-hundred fold.  

  This is made possible by the collective efforts of Bodysnatcher, who's lineup is rounded out by guitarists Ben Bamford and Frankie Cilella, bassist Colton Whelan, and drummer Dylan Honkonen. Where Bamford and Cilella weave in and out of the spotlight with jaw dropping chugging and outright nasty groove, Whelan lurks underneath, ever so subtly, providing a rumbling, roaring, thunderous oomph with each passing second of the just-over-four-minute run-time.  Adding fervor and ferocity to the track is Honkonen, who beats the skins with such barbaric, brute force that gives the middle finger to technicality in a way that makes any sort of complexity meaningless and unnecessary.  While their previous EP demonstrated these traits effectively, they didn't really shine until this release.

  But of course, what good is a band improving their chops if their vocalist isn't up to scratch?Thankfully, Medina takes the book, beats the listener's skull in with it, and tosses it out the window.

While the whole of Abandonment seemed like Medina was doing his best Tyler Shelton and Jonathon Vigil impressions, Closer to Hell sees the frontman evolve into one of heavy music's most utterly inhuman. His gutturals are deeper, yells more emotional and full of raw hatred, and lyrical content more intense.  From the very first barks to the oppressive gutturals midway to the guest spot (taken up by deathcore titan King Conquer's drummer, Chris Whited) and the last downtuned chug of the song, Medina shows the listener that he's no one trick pony, letting loose with a vocal assault the likes of which would make Adam Warren afraid to close his eyes at night. In short, Medina is the genre's boogeyman, in that the mere sound of his voice alone is enough to make even the most hardened of pit warriors afraid to set foot in the mosh when Medina takes the stage. 

  Basically, to summarize this track in a blunt, honest fashion- it fucking rules.  Mothers, hide your daughter.  Fathers, lock up your sons.  Bodysnatcher is coming to town, and they will leave nothing behind.  Prepare for doomsday.  Prepare to find yourself closer to Hell.

FFO: the Acacia Strain, Immoralist, King Conquer

RATING: Five out of Five Venue Trashcans Getting Thrown at You

ALBUM REVIEW-A Moon Shaped Pool by Radiohead

Article by Chris Barcia

A Moon Shaped Pool Review

 

            You could name dozens of popular artists from the 90s, and only few have had the commercial and critical success that Radiohead have enjoyed. Then when you think about it, even fewer, if any, have retained their relevancy for this long. One could say they have become the masters of disguise and the masters of surprise. For a band where their leader, Thom Yorke, is constantly cited for shitting all over internet platforms (Spotify, YouTube), their marketing is very internet savvy. In Rainbows and The King of Limbs, Radiohead’s last two efforts, were released as surprise albums that had awkward nihilist internet geeks running to their computers during times where that style of album release had not yet been popularized (you’re welcome Beyoncé). The same had been done with A Moon Shaped Pool - where Radiohead erased their internet presence, then released two new songs with coupling music videos, then the full album – all within a span of a week. Overnight, a treasure trove of think pieces trying to dissect the album track by track, showing not only the power Radiohead has over all of us but also their power to move trends forward.

            What may be comforting to some and not others is that A Moon Shaped Pool does not hit out of left field and present new abstract sounds for the listener. In a career where they done absolutely nothing but just that, Radiohead finally hits the breaks. The King of Limbs was undoubtedly met with mixed reviews as a highly experimental, instrument heavy, and headphone friendly compilation of songs that were rhythmic, upbeat yet fairly distant all at once.

A Moon Shaped Pool is a step back from that approach, and if anything is reminiscent of In Rainbows. The album’s intense opener “Burn the Witch” is a pleasing step in the right direction. It is a welcoming hello to listeners (you know, as welcoming as Radiohead can be), and it is driven by a staccato orchestral movement that by the end of the track divulges into total hate-fueled chaos, which couples with song’s theme of isolationism and fear of outsiders in society. The next song, “Daydreaming” is a powerful ballad that recalls “Videotape” off of In Rainbows. Violins occasionally build off of the  simple piano movement in spurts throughout the song, and Yorke’s vocals perfectly couple the somber beauty of the track’s instruments. It is a hauntingly enchanting song, which only becomes creepier when you realize the distorted vocals at the end are actually “half of my life” spoken in reverse, a potential reference to Yorke’s recent split from his wife of 23 years.

Due to the vague lyricism of many of these songs that promote double meanings, the themes of breakup are as likely as anything else within this album, coupling with its somber stripped down tone. With piano-driven tracks such as “Decks Dark”, “Glass Eyes”, “Daydreaming” and “True Love Waits”, and the acoustic guitar led “Desert Island Disk”, “The Numbers” and “Present Tense”, this record has Radiohead sounding at their most natural and straightforward in years.

One of the most noteworthy additions to this album is probably “True Love Waits”, which has had earlier live versions fleshed out by the band dating back to 1995. There, Yorke would stand on stage, alone and wielding an acoustic guitar, and belt out the chorus as fans flashed lights – “Don’t leave”. The song originally sounded like a call to mend a relationship, but like the rest of the songs on this album, it could be taken with a backwards meaning in the context of Yorke’s own past-relationship – showing how staying together is only for the purpose of not being alone.

Some have suggested that the album is not for new listeners to Radiohead, but besides the typical layering of odd sounds that Radiohead is famous for, this is some of their most accessible

Fans of their favorite artists are often disappointed when those artists fail to change their sound, implying a lack of growth. However, proven in this case by A Moon Shaped Pool, change may not always be the best thing. Considering that many of these tracks have been heard or released in some form in the past, you could make reference after reference to past songs that compare to those on this record. However, the perfectionists that are Radiohead will not let their listeners think that similar is not equitable to banal. There is still enough emotion and mystery punched into lyricism and instrumental to make this record a unique standout, even among the masterpieces that already cloud Radiohead’s long discography. For the weeks and months to come, Radiohead fans across will debacle over where this stands in their prolific canon of work. Without any argument, however, this typical Radiohead…as typical as Radiohead can be. 

REVIEW- Brutopia by The Hell

IT'S THE MOTHERFUCKING HELL YOU DICK GET FUCKED.


Ok, in all seriousness, and I can't believe that I'm talking about this band seriously, The Hell is arguably one of the best non serious bands out there. With some incredible, djenty grooves and riffs, solid drum patterns and laden with that harsh British accent that everyone has grown to love. Now, be aware, this band is, for lack of a better term, a giant meme. But in the best way possible, this meme was successful as hell. With some of the most ridiculous lyrics I've heard in a while, The Hell holds a place in my heart for sure.
 Instrumentally, The Hell is something else, because from what I understand, they only use two strings on their guitars. On this record particularly, they have alot more groove to their songs as opposed to their previous record, Groovehammer. This evolution in sound is a welcome change, as I found the tracks on Groovehammer to be redundant after a while of listening. The drums are tight, with the same stylistic choices that you would find in any metalcore/hardcore band. Overall, this record is sonically pleasing, and incredibly fucking groovy.
 Now, lyrically and vocally, this record is absolutely fucking golden. The vocals are tight, and I've always been a fan of the hardcore vocals that come out of English bands. Lyrically, well, to give you a taste of what their lyrics are like, heres a quote from their song "Everybody Dies" off their last record.

"WHILE YOU'RE ON YOUR LUNCH BREAK SIPPING A CHAI FUCKING LATTE
OR WORRYING ABOUT HOW MANY DATAS YOU'VE GOTTA ENTRY
REMEMBER THIS
ONE DAY YOUR HEART'S GONNA STOP AND YOU'LL SHIT YOURSELF
AND EVENTUALLY BE PICKED UP BY SOME JOBSWORTH NURSE
STUFFED IN A BODY BAG AND KEPT IN A FUCKING FILING CABINET
UNTIL THEY DECIDE TO SET YOU ON FIRE OR TURN YOU INTO FERTILIZER
HAVE A NICE DAY"

And if that didn't get you hyped as hell for this band, I don't know what will.

This record earns a solid 7/10 FUCK OFF'S

Listen here

REVIEW- Sirens by It Dies Today

                                       

ALBUM: SIRENS

BAND: IT DIES TODAY

RELEASE DATE: OCTOBER 17, 2006

Hey everyone! It's me again, because just as much as you hate seeing my name, I ENJOY YOUR SUFFERING.

Totally joking. ANYWHO, since it's 2016 and most of my favorite records came out ten years ago, I wanted to review the album that guided me in the way of the mosh.  I'm talking about the one, the only, the almighty Sirens, from Buffalo, NY's own emo version of Bury Your Dead, better known as It Dies Today.

For those of you who were around the ages of 12 to 16 in 2006, you know what I mean.  From the very first melodic riff of "A Constant Reminder", It Dies Today shows us that they haven't forgotten their roots, but are more than content with making the album leaps and bounds more melodic than its 2004 predecessor, the Caitiff Choir.  Furthermore, the album seems to depart from the single concept theme of Choir, while still feeling like a continuation.  For example, the title track actually begins with the closing riff of the last song on Choir (called "The Caitiff Choir: Defeatism"), seemingly continuing the narrative of mythical romance and desperation, while acknowledging the episodic feel of Sirens, including references such as lyrics talking about "these timeless fables". 

Made up of vocalist Nicholas Brooks, guitarists Chris Cappelli and Mike Hatalak, bassist Steve Lemke, and drummer Nick Mirusso, It Dies Today proved to us with this album that heaviness and emotion are not mutually exclusive.  Throughout the twelve tracks of Sirens, the band soars high over their peers with melodies straight out of In Flames' best work, breakdowns so southern you can taste the sweet tea, and choruses so damn catchy you'd swear a mosquito bit you and infected you with song. Perfect examples of this are songs like "Reignite the Fires", "Sacred Heart", and my personal favorite off of the album, opener "A Constant Reminder".  Songs like these are where the band's songwriting is at its strongest, and Cappelli and Hatalak weave in and out of each other, swapping shredding leads with beefy, downright dirty rhythm.  Unlike their previous efforts, the two indulge much more frequently in solos, some of which sound like Lynyrd Skynyrd themselves wrote them.  

Songs like "Sixth of June" and "Black Bile, White Lies" are guaranteed to make you break out your air guitars. 

Furthermore, Lemke and Mirusso have defined what melodic metalcore rhythm sections should be- they work perfectly in sync while having enough technical prowess to often have "duels" themselves. They weave in and out, pairing bombastic Arena Rock drums with riffy, low tuned beatdown bass lines, melding the two into their signature brand of metalcore. They especially shine in "Sacred Heart".

But what is a band without a singer? If the band is a book, then Nicholas Brooks is by and large the perfect author, pouring his blackened and torn heart on every page, every syllable more gut wrenching than the last. Throughout the entirety of the album's nearly forty minute run time, Brooks screams, bellows, and belts his way through the listener's ears, telling tale after heartbreaking tale of loves lost,chances never taken, and near suicidal depression, all while retaining a snarky, bitter first-person persona.  Whether it be the title track, where he pens "The Fates have spun the noose it seems, please Sirens, set me free" (which is a reference to Greek mythology, so IDT get major cool points for that), or his romantic, open-hearted love note to Ailenn Wuornos, titled "Sixth of June", Brooks lets loose with his full range, hitting notes that will pierce your heart and leave you broken, begging for more.  However, let it not be said that Brooks is a one-trick pony.  For every tearfully sung line of love lost, there is a deep, bellowing scream to drive home the pain of heartache.  Songs like "Through Trees, Over Bridges" and "the Bacchanal Affair" see him scream and shout his way through his anger, building the listener's rage at exactly whoever it is that left them all alone, to mend their broken hearts.

It Dies Today defined the genre with the Caitiff Choir, but with Sirens, they perfected it.  Melodic Metalcore was full of copy cats and clones, and It Dies Today were one of the chosen saviors.  If you haven't listened to this record and feel like having a nice cry, well, You know what to do,

RATING:Five out of Five Hot Topic belts

FFO: Killswitch Engage, Bury Your Dead, As I Lay Dying

ALBUM REVIEW: Holy Ghost-Modern Baseball

   
        Modern baseball was the opening act for the first show I ever saw, and while I was relatively unfamiliar with them by that point, the show had an incredible atmosphere, then and there I could tell they had something special in their formula.
Brendan Lukens, Jake Ewald, Sean Huber, and Ian Farmer have been releasing some of the catchiest, most heartfelt indie rock/pop-punk music in the scene since 2011. Their debut, "Sports" displayed a truly stellar batch of catchy, relatable songs, however, it was their follow up "You're Gonna Miss It All" that started to gain them some serious momentum, especially with the success of songs like "Your Graduation"
The record's success, as well as their frequent touring schedule, gained them a cult following, however, success doesn't always equate to happiness, a short documentary was posted in April in which it was revealed that co-vocalist/guitarist Brendan Lukens was dealing with severe anxiety/depression.
Their prior ep, "The Perfect Cast" was a bit darker and more complex lyrically than their first two records and the hardships the band members were going through in their personal lives would seem to be the cause. With their new record "Holy Ghost" there's been a lot of speculation as to what direction they would take, so with all the formalities and background information out of the way lets just dive right into my review of the newest release from Philadelphia natives Modern Baseball.
Let's just clarify that despite these personal changes for the band members, this album stays in familiar territory musically. Whereas "You're Gonna Miss It All" sounded like a band just starting to get their feet on the ground Holy Ghost sounds confident and self-aware.
The eponymously titled opening song is a sparse, emotional song, compared to the angstier nature of songs like chlo3k or fine, great, the track is a solid introduction to this new side of the band, it also has a nice segway into the next song. While "The Wedding Singer" is a punchy power-pop song, the album occasionally lacks the same energy as the band's prior output.
That's not to say they sound burned out or tame, they clearly have the same omnipresent passion for the music they're making. The album is much more of a traditional emo record than their previous records, clearly taking influence from bands like American Football while keeping the energetic sound that attracted so many people to them in the first place.
It sounds like a band progressing past the bad times, and recovering from their own personal struggles. If you enjoyed their previous efforts
or in general just want to an easily accessible, emotionally resonant pop punk record I would recommend "Holy Ghost".

Standout Tracks: Everyday, Apple Cider , I Don't Mind
Overall Rating: 4/5

SPECIAL FRIDAY THE 13TH REVIEW- - De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas (1994) by Mayhem

Before I was even a thought in my mother's mind, this quintessential black metal band released one of their most well known records. A must know for any black metal fan, Mayhem's 1994 release is probably one of the better recorded black metal records from the time, I'm thinking of Burzum and Darkthrone in this sense, as the record itself is very clear and instrumentally pleasing. Vocally however, this record sounds, as one youtube viewer put "Sounds like Dave Mustaine being strangled". Now, why am I reviewing this on Friday the 13th? Well, it's a spooky day filled with the idea of bad luck, and the band's members have had some serious lineup changes for nasty reasons, mainly their first vocalist, Dead, and his suicide, and another member, Euronomyous's dead at the hands of other member of the band, everyone's favorite Neo Nazi church burner, Varg.
 On to the record itself though, this 1994 release from Mayhem classifies as a classic black metal record, however I myself can't like it beyond the instrumentals. Maybe because it's not as atmospheric as I like? Well whatever it is, the instrumentals are all solid, my favorite parts of the sound being the drum fills and the seriously gnarly riffs. The basstone is nice, and both guitars and drums and bass all flow nicely through the songs on this record wholeheartedly.
 Where this record loses points for me though, are the vocals, which again, sound like Dave Mustaine being strangled. I suppose it could stem from me not being so used to it, as I listen to alot more contemporary black metal these days. But really, that's where my complaints stop, because beyond that this record is absolutely a great one to listen to.

Overall, this one earns a solid 6.5/10, and here's why, regardless of the sound, and that I said it was a great one to listen to, I still found the vocals to be unlistenable, and overall I was bored with the tracks, the riffs were great, but on the same hand, I found them to be far too repetitive. So sue me if you want, I just couldn't totally get behind this record. 

REVIEW-S/T by Magrudergrind

More heavy shit for your ear holes, coming in loud and aggressive Magrudergrind's self titled is a gem that I was late to the party finding. Because I was so late to this, I'm doing a review of it and kicking myself for not listening to this sooner. Magrudergrind is a grindcore/powerviolence band from our nation's capital, Washington DC. An international act, the band has toured Europe and North America and parts of Asia, with the likes of Misery Index and Despise You.
 But on to the record itself, it's a hammer right to the fucking face of pure, unadulterated powerviolence and grindcore. The entire record is a cacophony of noise, harsh and crunchy riffs, blast beats and some gnarly vocals. Instrumentally this record isn't anything inherently special, but that isn't a bad thing in the case of this genre, or set of genres. The guitar tone is phenomenal, with my favorite tone/riff combo being on the track Bridge Burner. Interestingly, this band has no bass whatsoever, which normally I'd find annoying but it makes this band unique. Vocally, Avi Kulawy brings some harsh, high pitched and even agonized vocals to Magrudergrind's self titled release. The vocals are very reminiscent of some Insect Warfare tracks as well as the band ACxDC.
 Overall, this release from Magrudergrind is a great one, even if I found it late, and it earns itself a solid 8/10

Listen here

REVIEW: Tales From the Gutter by Filth

ALBUM: TALES FROM THE GUTTER
ARTIST: FILTH



You can feel it, can't you? I know you can.  The sharp, stabbing pain in your head, the near fatal shortness of breath, and most of all- the desire to give up entirely.  You hear a voice- distant, but familiar- telling you the very words that will send you over the edge.

This is the feeling given to you upon listening to Tales From the Gutter, the debut EP by Shelby, North Carolina's golden boys of downtempo- Filth.  Comprised of nearly every member of InVoker (the only one not present being vocalist Justin Wilson), these five masters of the mosh have delivered a debut slab of slammy, sad, and skin-shredding downtempo deathcore sure to make even your grandma get out of her rocking chair and swing on everything in sight.

"They say the road to Hell is paved with good intentions, but your life ins't worth honorable mention." From the very beginning of the EP, frontman Dustin Mitchell makes his mission clear- to smother you in every ounce of misery he can. From the first hushed whispers of "Worm" through the downright terrifying  gutturals that end Desperation, Dustin lets loose with a vocal range not heard in most deathcore, let alone heavy music as a whole. With lows as deep as the very bowels of Hell and highs sinister enough to make the devil himself scared to turn the lights out, Dustin has proven to be one of the heavy music scene's most abrasive frontmen. This trend continues through the album, with his shining moment being the end of album-closer Desperation.

But what is a vocalist without music to use as his putrid, self-loathing canvas? This is proven time and time again, with bands that have incredible frontmen and musicians that don't know what they want to play.  Often times, the reverse is true.  Bands that have incredible instrumentation and a vocalist lacking any sort of talent or conviction.  Thankfully, this is not the case.  Filth have done what seems to be the impossible- not only have they released a debut EP so good it breathes life into a genre that is known for being stagnant, but it also holds up better than a lot of its peers a year after its release.  Let's talk about the rest of the band for a second, shall we?  The lineup of Filth is rounded out by guitarists David Gantt and Kevin Newland, bassist Nathan Pittman, and drummer Sean Britt.  Coincidentally, these four fine bringers of the breakdown are also in Dustin Mitchell's other band, InVoker. From the first drop of Worm, Gantt and Newland paint a perfect picture of pain and suffering that can only be described as the ideal sonic canvas.   Throughout Tales Gannt and Newland chug, slam, and eviscerate their way through five tracks of depressing, devastating deathcore. "Insomniac" shows this excellently, combining their penchant for skull shattering slams and technical, almost disjointed technicality, creating the most wonderfully suffocating atmosphere.  But these two riff-lords aren't the only beatdown barons, because providing each riff with the necessary oomph needed to really drive the point home is bassist Nathan Pitmann,  Each breakdown perfectly accentuated with a clank or a pop of grime, Pittman does his job perfectly as he covers each of the album's five tracks with audible despair, with a tone thick enough to strangle whatever hope you have left right out of you. This is especially apparent in Collapse, as he plays perfectly in line with Gannt and Newland, only for them to give way for Pittman drop the song into pure, downtuned bliss.

But even for all their breakdown sorcery, these three would not be able to really coat the listener in grief without the destructive and downright barbaric drumming of Sean Britt. From the first seconds of Worm, the climactic and bitter breakdown of Insomniac, and the crushing end of Desperation, Britt lets loose with an arsenal of precise fills and thunderous booms from his bass drum. The star of the show in Collapse, Britt shows the listener that technicality isn't necessary for a catchy drum part, but rather, that unadulterated brutality is equally as effective.

Unfortunately, as a reviewer, I have to give some criticisms of the album, but thankfully I really only have one- the length.  This album is far too short to be so damn good. At just over 20 minutes, the EP brutalizes and tortures the listener's psyche until the listener is yet another victim to Stockholm Syndrome and prays to the Filth below.  If you're looking for one of downtempo deathcore's shining crown jewels, look no further than Tales From the Gutter.  

RATING: Five out of Five Spinkicks

FFO: Traitors, Bodysnatcher, Oceano

give Filth a like on facebook! http://www.facebook.com/filthnc

TOP TEN- Most Positive Records

In contrast to our last top ten, here are some really positive records you ought to check out!


1. Songs to Scream at the Sun- Have Heart
This record is positive in the sense that it's a story of a kid growing up, as former frontman of the band, Patrick Flynn said "Songs to Scream at the Sun is the coming of age story. It's about the growing process of a young kid shaking the chains of selfishness, but it's everything about what you lose and gain in that process of growing up." That there may be loss in that growing up, but the gains are even more positive.

2. Break Down The Walls-Youth of Today
Youth of Today's Break Down the Walls is an incredibly positive record, with themes of individuality, hope and staying true to your friends, all in all, a really great and positive record, especially if you're into hardcore.

3. We Will Overcome- Close Your Eyes
One of my favorites for sure, this record from Christian hardcore outfit Close Your Eyes deals with positivity through not only normal hardcore themes such as friendship, but through god. With some really uplifting lyrics on almost all the tracks, this one is a surefire way to get yourself out of a dark place.

4. Dear G-d - Being as an Ocean
BAAO are a band I fell in love with as soon as I heard their release Dear G-d. This record got me through some really hard times, and helped me find my own faith. Highly recommend this one!

5. Humanly Speaking-Restwell
Personal friends of mine, Christian metalcore act Restwell put out this phenomenal and positive record not too long ago, and it's really uplifting and can bring the mosh to boot, check this one out!

6. I, Awake-Heart/HomeDespite this one being a single, it's still super positive and uplifting, another one worth checking out!

7. Walk Together, Rock Together- 7 secondsQuintessential positive, political punk rock, a banger of an album for sure and I wish I could get the chance to see these guys play a show.

8. The Upsides-The Wonder Years
This was really a no brainer, at least to me.

9. Nonstop Feeling-Turnstile
Positive because of the energy they give off, Turnstile definitely had to make it onto this list, with their most recent release, Nonstop Feeling

10. Minor Threat- Minor Threat
Quintessential to any hardcore fan, this record's positive message comes through a social and political message, this one is also one of my all time favorite records to jam to.

An Open Letter to YouTube's Favorite Scene Kid: Dear Bryan Stars, You Need To Fix This.

    Howdy, y'all!

This post may be a little jumbled and ranty, but I wanted to make my first piece for this blog something I think is super important. For those of you who know me (and hello to those who don't, I'm Hunter, pleasure to meet you!), I have a tendency to talk about problematic behavior in the scene as a whole, maybe too often.  And I've been noticing some very, very problematic behavior, from one Bryan Stars.

Now, for those of you who don't know who this lovely gentleman is, let Papa Hunter learn you a thing.  Stars was born Bryan Odell on May 22, 1990, putting him at a tender 25 years old. In the late 2000's, while attending college in Nebraska, mister Odell (sorry, Stars) dropped out to focus on his budding YouTube channel, also known as BryanStars.  Original, poignant, and absolutely creative genius. His channel became known quickly for his off-the-wall style of interviewing bands, such as questions like "What would your Porn Star name be?", and "why is your band the best band on earth?", and my personal favorite, "What do you look for in a hot girl?". Helping aid his rise to the top would be some of the alternative music scene's biggest acts, such as Black Veil Brides, Memphis May Fire, and Blood on the Dance Floor, as well as arena rock bands like Korn, Creed, and Slipknot. 2011 saw Bryan's channel grow exponentially, to the point where he was able to fund the first ever BryanStars tour, featuring acts such as Ghost Town, Modern Day Escape, and Rocky Loves Emily.  It is on this tour that he met close friend and future partner on My Digital Escape, a man named Johnnie Guilbert. The two would become the best of friends and start the aforementioned channel, My Digital Escape. 

Now that we're all caught up on the basics, let's talk about Bryan these days.  Seemingly out of nowhere, Bryan's popularity started to rise again. This seems to be due to his massive social media presence (despite his YouTube subscriber count being somewhere around 750,000. Which, admittedly, is still very impressive.), most notably, his Twitter and Facebook. While this may not seem like anything to write home about, I'd like to clarify- this is not an attack on his platform, nor is it an attack on his character. This is simply my observations of his interactions with fans. As stated before, Bryan is 25, nearing 26 years old, and his audience is primarily girls aged 13-18, or somewhere about there. Basically, this dude has an army of young, underage girls as his audience.  So you'd think he'd be more responsible and tone down some of the more, ahem, adult themed topics in his tweets.

Well, that isn't the case.  While he does post the typical motivational quote or picture or talk about how cute the band members are, he has a habit of posting very sexual, very inappropriate tweets, generally about getting laid and drinking heavily. I'm gonna put some links to his twitter at the bottom of this article. Trigger warning: this dude makes a lot of awful jokes.

Now, the problem I have with the guy is simple. He has a large social reach. He's affiliated with numerous, well known, internationally recognized acts. He has two YouTube channels, a slew of Facebook pages, and a Twitter that gets A LOT of traffic. And what does he do as a music journalist? The answer isn't talk about music.  He regularly puts out tweets to band members talking about sleeping with them. He is not queer yet uses his sexual ambiguity to bring in more views, which is detrimental to anyone who actually identifies as not cisgender and heterosexual. In between his trite posts about not giving up and saying "fuck you to the haters", he makes rape jokes, uses the queer community as a punchline, and talks to his younger fans VERY inappropriately. The kind of talk that ruins a band's career.  Yet, for some reason, his fans seem to want to justify his behaviors any way they can.  And that, at least to me, is unacceptable. What irks me especially are his tweets about depression and anxiety, using mental illnesses as a way to get a bigger audience. As if having a mental illness is cool and fashionable. Regularly he posts tweets such as "thumbs up if you support gay marriage!" while carelessly using slurs, especially f*g and all of its equally gross variations.

Bryan, here's the thing- You aren't a bad person. From what I can tell, you have a genuine passion for what you do. Your early videos honestly were what got me started on wanting to do music journalism. Your early interviews, while totally silly, were equally as informative and professional. I wish you would continue that style. However, for whatever reasons, you've taken a break from interviewing and started to become a sub-par "edgy and relatable (I probably spelled that so incorrectly)" fan service twitter page. You exploit a sexuality that isn't even yours for views and re-tweets, you make absurdly uncouth and inappropriate jokes (to minors, nonetheless), and you insult anyone who criticizes you, attacking their integrity as a music journalist. "Do not email me again. I am surprised with your attitude that you have a job in the music industry. Clearly you have a lot of growing up to do." is NOT the way to handle criticism and still be taken seriously, Whatever your reasoning behind your new persona is, it had better be something good.  I don't see your fan-base staying loyal to you if this keeps up.  You're almost 26, it's time to stop acting like a 16 year old.  I know you can do better. I know you can use your platform to actually help people and impact lives and contribute to your scene! Hell, you used to take completely underground bands, put their latest single on your channel, and give them access to a world they never thought possible beyond the local circuit.  You've failed as an honest journalist.  You've failed as a positive role model. If you see this and you have issues with it, contact me and tell me your side.  I hope you get your act together, you could seriously tour on that EP for a long while.  You aren't a dumb teenager.  Time to start acting like it.

LINKS!!!!

(NOTE- I spent a solid hour searching through his twitter feed to find most of the tweets in question had seemingly been removed.  if you're still curious, feel free to look for yourself.)

http://www.twitter.com/BryanStars

youtube.com/bryanstars

youtube.com/mydigitalescape