Pyramids - Following the Tracks, Forcing Motion Through Phases

Artist: Pyramids
Title: Following the Tracks, Forcing Motion Through Phases
Release: 2006
Label: Slave Union

Track List:
1. Stationed
2. Drifting
3. Sleep Spindles & K-Complexes
4. Slow Wave
5. Delta
6. Paradoxical
7. Lucid

Sprawling, beautiful, and to use a disgustingly cliche word: epic screamo with a slathering of post-rock from Philadelphia. I'm definitely way late on this album but I suppose that's better than never. "Sleep Spindles & K-Complexes" is my favorite track. Very City of Caterpillarish.

As with any screamo you'll likely have a hard time understanding the lyrics. I haven't read them yet, but apparently this whole album is a metaphorical train ride. An odd concept, but the little bits of spoken word or nearly sung lyrics aren't as goofy as that may sound.

Download: Pyramids - Following the Tracks, Forcing Motion Through Phases (LAME 3.97 V0) Multiupload

Download: Pyramids - Following the Tracks, Forcing Motion Through Phases (LAME 3.97 V0) Mediafire

The Creatures of the Golden Dawn - The Clown with the Broken Crown

Artist: The Creatures of the Golden Dawn
Title: The Clown with the Broken Crown
Release: 1991
Label: Dionysus Records

Track List:
1. The Clown with the Broken Crown
2. I Don't Need Your Love
3. Living in Sarah's Lies

Once again my ability to pick nuggets of gold out of the bargain bin has proven itself to be quite prodigious. But seriously, this record was actually a pretty good find. I bought it because the band's name is weird and it's a really pretty color of blue marble. I love blue marble. I didn't expect this to be any good, but it turns out The Creatures of the Golden Dawn play a sort of throwback 60's garage punk. I say throwback because they got their start in the late 80's or early 90's it seems. Information about them is somewhat sparse and tends to always be a footnote to the singer's later career.

Were the recording quality of this not as good I think one could be forgiven for mistaking this record as being from the 60's. It's got that simple poppy rock and roll song structure that every one hit wonder from that decade seems to have had. But with a slightly less polished feel. In many ways like very very early punk rock, from before anyone called it that. Except Creatures of the Golden Dawn was apparently riding the trailing edge of a wave of a revival of that style.

Download: The Creatures of the Golden Dawn - The Clown with the Broken Crown (LAME 3.98r V0) Multiupload

Download: The Creatures of the Golden Dawn - The Clown with the Broken Crown (LAME 3.98r V0) Mediafire

Endless Nightmare/Dissystema - split

Artist: Endless Nightmare/Dissystema
Title: split
Release: 2005
Label: self released

Track List:
1. Endless Nightmare - Nostalgic Deathtrap
2. Endless Nightmare - Legions of the Dead
3. Endless Nightmare - No Peace
4. Dissystema - Limbless
5. Dissystema - Beggar at the Gates
6. Dissystema - A Dime's Worth of Difference

Hope ya like crust punk. Because that's what you're gonna get on both sides of this outstanding split by two bands from Philadelphia. I don't know anything about either except for what is on the inside of the sleeve (scans of which are included). I'm tentatively more fond of the Dissystema side.

Download: Endless Nightmare/Dissystema - split (LAME 3.98r V0) Multiupload

Download: Endless Nightmare/Dissystema - split (LAME 3.98r V0) Mediafire

Carpenter Ant/Race to Die - split

Artist: Carpenter Ant/Race to Die
Title: split
Release: 2003
Label: Coffin Fund Records

Track List:
1. Carpenter Ant - Intro...The Grill Is Off
2. Carpenter Ant - 7 Plys Forever
3. Carpenter Ant - Ode to C. Herman
4. Carpenter Ant - Mohawk Combover Fuck Yeah
5. Race to Die - Disaster
6. Race to Die - Bald Leading the Blind
7. Race to Die - Possessed to Skate (Suicidal Tendencies)

If you google "Carpenter Ant Lehigh Valley, PA" most of the results you get are about actual carpenter ants and pest control service in Lehigh Valley, PA. I guess carpenter ants are a real problem up there. I suppose then it kind of makes sense for a bunch of pesky skaters to name their band after wood eating ants. There's pretty much no info about Race to Die out there so I have no clue where they're from or what they're all about.

Anyways, as if the cover and song titles didn't give it away, what we have here are songs about skating and other punk things that do an excellent job of not breaking the two minute rule. Both sides of this split are thrashy and at times a little sloppy hardcore played with your typical adolescent attitude problem. Race to Die even does a pretty gnarly Suicidal Tendencies cover.

Download: Carpenter Ant/Race to Die - split (LAME 3.98r V0) Multiupload

Download: Carpenter Ant/Race to Die - split (LAME 3.98r V0) Mediafire