Sacred Shock - Demo

Artist: Sacred Shock
Title: Demo
Release: 2007
Label: Self Released

Track List:
1. Deadlines
2. Pedestal
3. Planet Decay
4. Bridge Burner
5. Best Interest
6. Sacred Shock

I've been meaning to post this for a while.

Sacred Shock is yet another band brought to you by Machine Gun Romantics/Hatred Surge mastermind Alex Hughes.

You're probably going to need to crank up the volume on this one. When I was ripping the tape I noticed that the sound was clipping off causing lots of bad distortion. Sadly the only way to remedy that problem is to re-record the tape with a lower input level on the line in. This means the sound is better but the volume is lower. I had to re-record it like five times to get it right.

Download: Sacred Shock - Demo (LAME 3.98r V0) Multiupload

Download: Sacred Shock - Demor (LAME 3.98r V0) Mediafire

Rainer Maria - Hell and High Water

Artist: Rainer Maria
Title: Hell and High Water
Release: 2000
Label: Polyvinyl Record Company

Track List:
1. Hell and High Water
2. Paper Sack

If you've heard of Rainer Maria I bet you haven't thought of them in a few years. If you've never heard of Rainer Maria, they were an emo band from Wisconsin featuring male and female vocals. Pretty good, but nothing exceptional.

This is still for sale over at Polyvinyl. As usual if you like it you should buy it since it's still in stock.

The second track was recorded live so that probably accounts for the slightly inferior sound quality.

Download: Rainer Maria - Hell and High Water (LAME 3.98r V0) Multiupload

Download: Rainer Maria - Hell and High Water (LAME 3.98r V0) Mediafire

Iron Age - Demo

Artist: Iron Age
Title: Demo
Release: 2005
Label: Next Level Records

Track List:
1. Intro
2. Forked Tongue
3. Brainwreck
4. Comin' Down
5. My Level

You've no doubt heard Iron Age's debut "Constant Struggle" and 2009's magnificent album "The Sleeping Eye". But, unless you own a copy of their demo I suspect you've probably never heard it as I couldn't find a digital version of it out there. Fortunately I have a copy and have taken to trying to rip my cassette collection.

I picked up my copy of the demo in early 2005 at a Terror show. I think it was actually Terror that was selling the demo which is kinda weird since they're from LA and all. If I had to guess they probably got a few copies to distro when they hit up Austin. I hadn't heard of Iron Age at the time and whoever was working the Terror merch table insisted I spend my leftover 2 bucks on the Iron Age demo. I'm really glad I took that dude's word for it. They may not have been at the time of the demo but Iron Age is without a doubt one of the best bands in Texas. I'd even go as far as to say one of the best in the country but I'm probably a little biased towards anyone from my home state.

This tape is a piece of crossover greatness in the rough. Nowadays Iron Age is pretty much straight up metal with only occasional forays into what is still obviously hardcore. This demo is sort of the opposite, hardcore with just enough metal to make it really stand out, especially back in 2005. Were this released in 2011 one could probably be excused for calling it generic or riding on a wave of similar sounding bands. But I like to think Iron Age is largely (at the very least partially) responsible for the popularity of more crossover-type bands we've seen in American hardcore the last few years.

Download: Iron Age - Demo (LAME 3.98r V0) Multiupload

Download: Iron Age - Demo (LAME 3.98r V0) Mediafire

Chest Pain - Discography Tape 2010

Artist: Chest Pain
Title: Discography Tape 2010
Release: 2010
Label: Kills You Records

Track List:
1. North Coast Wizard Violence
2. S.O.B. Story
3. Wasted Effort
4. Wage Assist the Machine
5. Gandhi 2
6. Behold the Infinite Meaninglessness
7. Nihilgasm
8. Embrace Despair
9. Biscuit's Blues
10. Getting Old
11. Red River Waste Water
12. Real Talk
13. Sex Fear
14. Murderers
15. Brave New Bullshit
16. Carcinogen
17. Mass Produced Death
18. Yellow Noose
19. False Self
20. Murderers
21. Shop til You Drop
22. Reverse Baptism
23. A Lifetime of Spit and Swearing
24. Live Set at The Phoenix Project (Dallas, Texas August 14th 2010)

I've posted Chest Pain before. Now here's everything they did up until the last time I saw them, which was in October of last year. They've probably done ungodly amounts of writing and recording since then (or will do so in the near future) so this is by no means a current discography. Merely it is a snapshot of everything up until these tapes were made.

What you've got here is slightly over 22 minutes of raging non-stop angry hardcore. And as a bonus a short set from when they played at The Phoenix Project here in Dallas. I really can't recommend this enough.

I had to make some decisions myself about when one track ends and the other begins as some of the songs kinda blur together with only short bits of feedback giving any indication that a transition is occurring. I advise you to listen to it all at once and in order. Just a warning though, you'll probably be physically exhausted by the end of it.

Download: Chest Pain - Discography Tape 2010 (LAME 3.98r V0) Multiupload

Download: Chest Pain - Discography Tape 2010 (LAME 3.98r V0) Mediafire

Calling Gina Clark/Dispensing of False Halos - split

Artist: Calling Gina Clark/Dispensing of False Halos
Title: split
Release: 2003
Label: Init Records/Crucificados Pelo Sistema

Track List:
1. Calling Gina Clark - Wir Nehmen Abschied
2. Calling Gina Clark - Blumen Gießen
3. Calling Gina Clark - Ich Fühle Mich Von Ihrer Autorität Auf Den Schlips Getreten Herr Oberkommissar
4. Dispensing of False Halos - It Does Not Not Hurt
5. Dispensing of False Halos - Which Way to Transparent Blue

Here's some more screamo from my collection. If you've read this blog before you probably already know I'm a huge fan. This split was actually one of the earlier records I ever bought. I got it from Init Records when they still had copies.

Calling Gina Clark was from Germany. They changed their name A Fine Boat, That Coffin sometime around 2005. Dispensing of False Halos was from Des Moines, Iowa and was part of that wave of late 90's early 00's American screamo bands that were all the rage for a short period of time. They just don't make it like they used to.

A quick note about the track order. The track listing on the record itself and elsewhere on the internet is incorrect. The Dispensing of False Halos side is out of order. "It Does Not Not Hurt" is the first track on the record even though it is listed as the second.

Download: Calling Gina Clark/Dispensing of False Halos - split (LAME 3.98r V0) Multiupload

Download: Calling Gina Clark/Dispensing of False Halos - split (LAME 3.98r V0) Mediafire

Ursa Minor - Smoke

Artist: Ursa Minor
Title: Smoke
Release: 1997
Label: Abraham Records

Track List:
1. Smoke
2. When Ships Set Sail
3. Goodnight

I picked this record out of a bargain bin based solely on the cover. It screamed mid 90's emo at me. And guess what, it sounds exactly like Mineral, The Gloria Record, and Knapsack. I love that about emo bands from that time. You can tell exactly what the music is gonna sound like based on the cover. Obviously to an extent that's true with a lot of bands. But with 90's emo it just seems more so for some reason.

That being said, if you've listened to the more popular examples of the genre then you probably know exactly what to expect. Quietly sung vocals, mildly dissonant but not unpleasantly so guitars, and a subtle hint of a keyboard buried somewhere in the mix that occasionally stands out loudly. All played at a speeds shifting between drudgingly slow to just a pace above mid-tempo.

I could not find a damn thing about Ursa Minor on the internet. My guess is that they probably only did this record and maybe one or two others. They probably didn't tour much or at all. And they probably never tried to make a name for themselves. If I had to guess, they were probably just college friends who played for a few years then went their separate ways after graduation. Nowadays with the ubiquitousness of the internet bands like that tend to leave a bit more of a record behind. But even in the 90's it's entirely possible that not a single word about Ursa Minor ever made it to the internet. Being the nerd that I am, to me there's something sad about that.

The 7" came with a small insert with the track listing. It says the record was recorded at Wintersound by Bob Gurske in the fall of 1997. I looked him up. It appears he's retired from recording now. Wintersound is in Gloucester Point, Virginia. The address for the record label says Charleston, South Carolina. So my guess is that they're either from Virginia, South Carolina, or somewhere nearby.

Download: Ursa Minor - Smoke (LAME 3.98r V0) Multiupload

Download: Ursa Minor - Smoke (LAME 3.98r V0) Mediafire

The Go! Team - Ladyflash

Artist: The Go! Team
Title: Ladyflash
Release: 2004
Label: Memphis Industries

Track List:
1. Ladyflash
2. Ladyflash (Hot Chip Remix)

Pegging a genre on The Go! Team is a bit difficult. Wikipedia lists them as alternative dance, indie rock, hip-hop, and noise rock. That sounds about right to me.

Download: The Go! Team - Ladyflash (LAME 3.98r V0) Multiupload

Download: The Go! Team - Ladyflash (LAME 3.98r V0) Mediafire

Terror/Ringworm - Dead Mans Hand 02

Artist: Terror/Ringworm
Title: Dead Mans Hand 02
Release: 2003
Label: Deathwish Inc.

Track List:
1. Terror - Out of My Way
2. Terror - Nothing to Lose
3. Ringworm - No One Dies Alone
4. Ringworm - House of Hell

The matrix on Terror's side of this split says "I need maximum output - more stage dives!!!". Anyone familiar with Terror probably knows that Scott Vogel tends to say some really silly things on stage. Back in 2005 I saw them play in Houston with Madball, Will to Live, and Your Mistake at a tiny venue packed with dudes twice my size. During Terror's set someone brought out a mini trampoline. It wasn't out there for long but people put it to good use. Later, in the middle of a song Scott Vogel literally picked the dude next to me up off the floor onto the stage by the front of his shirt and yelled "MORE STAGE DIVES!" and then threw the poor kid back into the crowd. "Out of My Way" is probably my favorite Terror song.

Sadly I have no Ringworm stories. I've never gotten the chance to see them. They're probably in my top five or so bands that I want to see (if you only include bands where it's remotely possible). Both of their songs on this 7" are heavy as all hell.

Download: Terror/Ringworm - Dead Mans Hand 02 (LAME 3.98r V0) Multiupload

Download: Terror/Ringworm - Dead Mans Hand 02 (LAME 3.98r V0) Mediafire

The Smittens/The Just Joans - split

Artist: The Smittens/The Just Joans
Title: split
Release: 2009
Label: WeePOP! Records

Track List:
1. The Smittens - What Do We Do Now?
2. The Smittens - Summer Sunshine
3. The Just Joans - Gin and Platonic
4. The Just Joans - I Hear You're the Man Now, John

I like to give my girlfriend grief about liking a band named The Smittens. She would. The truth is they're actually pretty good. Some of their material is a bit too slow and quiet for my tastes but their side of this 7" is just upbeat enough for me to really get into it (despite the depressing lyrics). I'm not so much a fan of The Just Joans' side. It's not bad, it's just not my thing.

Download: The Smittens/The Just Joans - split (LAME 3.98r V0) Multiupload

Download: The Smittens/The Just Joans - split (LAME 3.98r V0) Mediafire

Mandatory Marathon

Artist: Various
Title: Mandatory Marathon
Release: 1999
Label: Amendment Records

Track List:
1. Charles Bronson - So What If I Puked up McDonalds
2. Charles Bronson - ESP: Girls Love Me
3. Capitalist Casualties - Sarin
4. Capitalist Casualties - Methamphetamine
5. Capitalist Casualties - Worker
6. The Gooch - Boxbot
7. Gasparilla Day Parade - No Escaping the Almighty Wrath of Lee Ralph
8. Captain 3 Leg - Tommy G Song
9. The Gaia - 1999 Genocide Introduction Extraversion Colors
10. The Pervatrons - Spanked by the Fairy Godmother
11. Palatka - New Feedback
12. Palatka - Yours at Best
13. Palatka - Nathan Collier
14. Palatka - Choicenochoice
15. Gob - Itamae-san
16. Gob - Chapmaster
17. Laceration - Maximum Catalogue
18. Laceration - Friend Song
19. Laceration - Don't Believe in Love?
20. Last Remaining Pinnacle - Mantle Rotation

Some records have no business being in the bargain bin. And yet that's where I found this gnarly power violence (and grindcore) compilation 7". It's as if whoever put it there didn't even bother to at least google a couple of the names on the front cover.

To be honest this is somewhat of a mixed bag. There's some real gems on here and some real head-scratchers. But I suppose that's sometimes part of the charm of this kind of music.

I've included scans of the insert which has more information on all the bands and the release itself.

Unfortunately my copy has some slight crackling and popping that I wasn't able to fix. To be honest though that really doesn't matter since nearly all the songs are so poorly recorded anyways. In fact, as with other recordings of this nature it might be a result of the recording process rather than the playback process.

Download: Mandatory Marathon (LAME 3.98r V0) Multiupload

Download: Mandatory Marathon (LAME 3.98r V0) Mediafire

Betty and the Werewolves - Euston Station

Artist: Betty and the Werewolves
Title: Euston Station
Release: 2008
Label: Damaged Goods Records

Track List:
1. Euston Station
2. Wind-Up

More indie pop from my girlfriend's collection. The title track of this 7" is pretty good. I'm not so much of a fan of the B side though.

Download: Betty and the Werewolves - Euston Station (LAME 3.98r V0) Multiupload

Download: Betty and the Werewolves - Euston Station (LAME 3.98r V0) Mediafire

Włochaty - Bank $wiatowy

Artist: Włochaty
Title: Bank $wiatowy
Release: 1996
Label: Nikt Nic Nie Wie

Track List:
1. Bank $wiatowy
2. Jednego Nie Mogę Zrozumieć
3. Umacnianie Pokoju
4. Przeciwko Uprzedzeniom
5. Do They Owe Us a Living? (Crass)
6. D.J.U.T. III

I love when bands with strong anti-capitalist and anarchist messages have slick websites with plenty of goods for sale.

Włochaty (The Shaggy One, apparently) is a lot like Crass, except Polish. In fact they cover my favorite Crass song on this record.

Download: Włochaty - Bank $wiatowy (LAME 3.98r V0) Multiupload

Download: Włochaty - Bank $wiatowy (LAME 3.98r V0) Mediafire

Bunnygrunt - Standing Hampton

Artist: Bunnygrunt
Title: Standing Hampton
Release: 1994
Label: No Life Records

Track List:
1. Macho Beagle
2. Mississippi
3. Favorite Food
4. Cry (Raspberries)

Bunnygrunt, from St. Louis, has been around for a long time in the indie pop/twee scene. What little I know about them I know from Wikipedia so I'm afraid I have very little to add about their history.

This 7" is pretty much exactly what would come to my mind when I think of twee. Poppy but fizzy guitars, drum beats with roots firmly planted in punk rock, and vocals sung in a sing song sort of way with lots of back up harmonies. Oh and hand claps. Can't forget those. "Cry" is a top-notch cover of a song by 70's power pop group Raspberries.

I got to see Bunnygrunt in May of 2009 with Denton, TX's Fishboy (albloltross). Sadly they didn't get much of a response from the 20 or so people there despite playing an excellent set. I blame the fact that they hadn't done much of anything in a really long time. I bet most of their original fans are old enough to have better things to do than hang out in a pizza place's basement on a Friday night.

I don't remember where it was (probably in Austin) that I bought this record for my girlfriend. I'm glad I did because I enjoy it an awful lot too.

Download: Bunnygrunt - Standing Hampton (LAME 3.98r V0) Multiupload

Download: Bunnygrunt - Standing Hampton (LAME 3.98r V0) Mediafire

三日月爆音団 (Mikaduki Bakuondan, Crescent Moon Explosion Brigade) - Judgement Truth

Artist: 三日月爆音団 (Mikaduki Bakuondan, Crescent Moon Explosion Brigade)
Title: Judgement Truth
Release: 2008
Label: H.G.Fact

Track List:
1. Judgement Truth
2. Look at Me, My Motion

First a little bit about the band from H.G.Fact's website:

BUGZ ARTS, they had played around Urawa city in Saitama, changed their name to CRESCENT MOON ROAR TROUPE and display 1st 7"EP!!! Band formed by Gon Chan from Shiga on vocal, Kin (ex FUZZCALL) on drum, Hilmax on guitar, and PAINTBOX's Goro playing bass.

The band started six or seven years ago but the drumer have changed many time and their vocalist was too young then so it didn't go well. Since Kin became a member as drumer, it gets on the right track and at least, they have been played a show in a month.
The band is planing to plesents the gigs once a month from this August and so much expectations!

CRESCENT MOON ROAR TROUPE brings quite thrilling and delightful hard punk sound based on Japanese Hardcore!
Gon chan's impressive vocal bursts at any time with catchy chorus hitting your ears!! ltd500copies!

I'm pretty certain that is a machine translation. In fact, every mention of the bands name in English that I could find is most likely a machine translation. 三日月 (mikaduki) definitely means crescent moon, but 爆音 (bakuon) can either be the sound of an explosion or a metaphor for the roaring of machinery. Given what the band sounds like I personally think explosion is more fitting. And 団 (dan) can be troupe, but I'm so used to it being brigade and troupe reminds me of monkeys. I hate monkeys.

Anyways, enough bullshit. This 7" has exactly one flaw and one flaw only. It's only two songs instead of a whole LP. After listening to it over and over I am left wanting more. Not in a I found it lacking sort of way. But in the same way as when you finish a really really good lobster tail and then realize that's it, your plate is empty, and the meal is over. You just want another damn piece of lobster, you've still got a little melted butter in the little ceramic cup suspended by a wire over a candle, but no more lobster.



It's hard to pick a favorite track since both are so damn good. But I can say that the short bad ass sing along part in "Judgement Truth" is my favorite part. There's just this whole rock and roll undertone to the songs that gives the impression of a don't give a fuck attitude. Fucking punk.

Download: 三日月爆音団 - Judgement Truth (LAME 3.98r V0) Multiupload

Download: 三日月爆音団 - Judgement Truth (LAME 3.98r V0) Mediafire

The Apples in Stereo/Bis - Heroes & Villains

Artist: The Apples in Stereo/Bis
Title: Heroes & Villains
Release: 2000
Label: Kid Rhino

Track List:
1. The Apples in Stereo - Signal in the Sky (Let's Go)
2. Bis - The Powerpuff Girls (End Theme)

Another 7" from my girlfriend's collection. This time it's The Apples in Stereo and Bis playing songs inspired by The Powerpuff Girls.

When I first heard The Apples in Stereo I wasn't really a fan. I suspect that was because my first experience was with their older (mid and early 90s) borderline psychedelic material. Then "New Magnetic Wonder" came out and my girlfriend made me listen to it. I became a fan after one listen. Now I regularly listen to pretty much everything they've done in the last decade or so.

Download: The Apples in Stereo/Bis - Heroes & Villains (LAME 3.98r V0) Multiupload

Download: The Apples in Stereo/Bis - Heroes & Villains (LAME 3.98r V0) Mediafire

Machine Gun Romantics/S.S.E. - Dead Reagan Era HxC Split E.P.

Artist: Machine Gun Romantics/S.S.E.
Title: Dead Reagan Era HxC Split E.P.
Release: 2004
Label: Dangerously Small Records

Track List:
1. Machine Gun Romantics - Asstown
2. Machine Gun Romantics - File Under Fun
3. Machine Gun Romantics - A History Lesson
4. Machine Gun Romantics - Desk Job Desk Trap
5. Machine Gun Romantics - Oh, for the Love of Thrash.
6. S.S.E. - Waking Up
7. S.S.E. - Vitamins=Punx (No Really)
8. S.S.E. - Return to Skate Boarding
9. S.S.E. - Post Carnage Game Report

Here's a split by Houston power violence maestro's Machine Gun Romantics and S.S.E..

If I remember correctly Machine Gun Romantics arose from xPOWERBUTTx (seriously). Alex Hughes has since gone on to play in Hatred Surge, Sacred Shock, and Iron Age. I can't say I know much about anyone else in the band though.

As for S.S.E., Scott from On My Side IMed me about his new band Plug (I'll post a link when I find out more) and knowing he's from Houston I asked him about S.S.E.

(9:22:20 PM) Sean: what do you know about the band S.S.E.?
(9:22:31 PM) Scott: dude
(9:22:38 PM) Scott: houston band with ryan and tom?
(9:22:41 PM) Sean: yes
(9:22:46 PM) Scott: haha so random
(9:22:46 PM) Sean: i know nothing
(9:22:50 PM) Scott: where did that come from?
(9:22:58 PM) Sean: i'm about to post their split with machine gun romantics on my blog
(9:23:09 PM) Scott: man, talk about blast from the past
(9:24:15 PM) Scott: s.s.e. was a pv duo consisting of tom who later played in insect warfare... currently plays in the energy. and ryan endsly... one of the drummers of vitality at one point.
(9:25:06 PM) Scott: i ran around with those guys and some of their crew for a little while when i was a freshman and sophmore in high school... they got me into infest, napalm death, spazz and other extreme noisy stuff.
(9:25:47 PM) Scott: good dudes. i saw them a few times, but nothing really notable.
(9:26:01 PM) Scott: i got invited to the show to see them play with R.A.M.B.O way back in the day
(9:26:17 PM) Scott: but i didnt go
(9:26:27 PM) Sean: hah i haven't thought about r.a.m.b.o in a long while
(9:26:32 PM) Scott: yea dude
(9:26:36 PM) Scott: same with sse for me
(9:26:37 PM) Scott: anyway
(9:27:59 PM) Scott: sse were like elitist pricks... but it was that elitism that was kinda cool. for whatever reason, they were always really nice to me... which i thought was weird since i hung with dudes who they beefed with. sse were like into really crusty punk and stuff while the dudes i hung out with were more into modern hc, technical metal, etc. etc. etc. funny thing is that both of those "groups" now hang out alot.
(9:29:38 PM) Scott: but also, those years i hung out with them and the other crowd were really formative for me... because not only was i into modern hc through the one crowd... i was also really into fast stuff... which kind of lent to the vibe of some of the early stuff that my band on my side did. also, one of the guys who was also friends with both "crowds" sold me a bunch of youth crew records and shirts that also really proved to be formative for me at the time. that guy has a slipknot tattoo now... next to a man is the bastard tattoo.

Download: Machine Gun Romantics/S.S.E. - Dead Reagan Era HxC Split E.P. (LAME 3.98r V0) Multiupload

Download: Machine Gun Romantics/S.S.E. - Dead Reagan Era HxC Split E.P. (LAME 3.98r V0) Mediafire

Allo, Darlin' - Henry Rollins Don't Dance

Artist: Allo, Darlin'
Title: Henry Rollins Don't Dance
Release: 2009
Label: WeePOP! Records

Track List:
1. Henry Rollins Don't Dance
2. Dear Stephen Hawking
3. Heartbeat Chilli

This is not hardcore, but it is actually tangentially related. Allo, Darlin' is an indie pop/twee band from London. "Henry Rollins Don't Dance" is their second release under the name (they put out an EP as The Darlings before changing their name).

"Henry Rollins Don't Dance" is a catchy and upbeat tune that from what I can tell is about dating a dude who likes hardcore punk and just wanting to be able to dance to normal music with him. As much as I like the title track I think "Dear Stephen Hawking" is the best song on this 7". It's a little bit slower and a little bit more melancholy, but the lyrics are really thought provoking in a romantic sort of way. The last tack is just too slow for me to really get into. I like the use of the ukulele, but it's not enough to save it from being skipped most of the time.

I was lucky enough to catch Allo, Darlin' during SXSW last year. They played outside in the freezing cold on the patio of a pizza place. I don't think they were prepard for the cold at all since it was March in Austin and being from England they probably thought Texas was always warm. They're going to be back here again for Chaos in Tejas 2011. Why and how they got put on that I have no idea. Not that I'm complaining.

This rip is from my girlfriend's small but excellent record collection. I think you can easily find it elsewhere online but I wanted to post my rip here along with scans of the cover and insert.

Download: Allo, Darlin' - Henry Rollins Don't Dance (LAME 3.98r V0) Multiupload

Download: Allo, Darlin' - Henry Rollins Don't Dance (LAME 3.98r V0) Mediafire

Tetsu Arrey - Rocket / Core

Artist: Tetsu Arrey
Title: Rocket / Core
Release: 2002
Label: H.G.Fact

Track List:
1. Rocket
2. Core

I was lucky enough to pick this up at the same time as Tetsu Arrey's "Force" 7". To be honest this 7" isn't quite as good as "Force" but it's still full of energy and fun.

I forgot to mention in my last post that 鉄アレイ means "iron dumbbell". Personally I think it should be romanized as Tetsu Arei but I guess at some point enough people started using Arrey. I suppose it's pronounced the same either way so it doesn't really matter.

Download: Tetsu Arrey - Rocket / Core (LAME 3.98r V0) Multiupload

Download: Tetsu Arrey - Rocket / Core (LAME 3.98r V0) Mediafire

Tetsu Arrey - Force

Artist: Tetsu Arrey
Title: Force
Release: 1996
Label: H.G.Fact

Track List:
1. 生きてる自分を誰かが知っている
2. 最初に足を引っぱるのは自分
3. Starting Over
4. Force

This is a killer 7" by Japanese burning spirits veterans Tetsu Arrey. You probably already know what to expect and I can guarantee you won't be disappointed. All four songs rage from start to finish.

I've seen this posted elsewhere, but the copies I've downloaded have all been from the same rip that didn't have any of the crackling and popping removed. So if you've been looking for a better rip of this here it is. I was lucky enough to snag this for a more than reasonable price last month.

Scans of the cover included. Sorry about the large file size, but it's 2011, deal with it.

Download: Tetsu Arrey - Force (LAME 3.98r V0) Multiupload

Download: Tetsu Arrey - Force (LAME 3.98r V0) Mediafire

Cøma - Sic Semper Tyrannis

Artist: Cøma
Title: Sic Semper Tyrannis
Release: 2007
Label: self released

Track List:
1. Self-Induced Manipulation / Nation of One
2. Sic Semper Tyrannis
3. We Are the Dead of a Dying Breed

Cøma was a short lived side project of Kill the Client's Chris "Hollywood" Richardson that later turned into Cleric. Other members of the band were also in Terms of Grey and Serious Youth. I thought about writing a description of what they sound like, but I think the cover art for this demo sums it up better than I could. If you like metal with plenty of tempo changes or songs with a strong political message this is for you.

Download: Cøma - Sic Semper Tyrannis (LAME 3.98r V0) Multiupload

Download: Cøma - Sic Semper Tyrannis (LAME 3.98r V0) Mediafire

Neighborhood Villain - Demo 2007

Artist: Neighborhood Villain
Title: Demo 2007
Release: 2007
Label: self released

Track List:
1. Over and Over
2. Working Class Zero
3. Hope for Man
4. 5 Senses

If Gjared Robinson ever asks you if you have two dollars it might be a good idea to answer yes. It probably means he's gonna force you into buying a demo for a band he's in. And that's a good thing.

When Gjared told me his new band was gonna sound like Dag Nasty I was beyond stoked. There aren't many bands that play that kind of melodic hardcore these days, much less play it with passion like it's still 1989. With members from tons of bands from Dallas, far too many to mention in fact, Neighborhood Villain plays an energetic style of hardcore that grows on you with each listen.

This demo shows lots of Dag Nasty, early Lifetime, and Quicksand influence both musically and lyrically. It's a damn shame they broke up since every time I got to see them play they put on an intense and emotional show that always improved over the last time. They did eventually release an EP in late 2008 before they kinda of just stopped playing shows.

Download: Neighborhood Villain - Demo 2007 (LAME 3.98r V0) Multiupload

Download: Neighborhood Villain - Demo 2007 (LAME 3.98r V0) Mediafire

Vitality! - Reality Check Demo 2005

Artist: Vitality!
Title: Reality Check Demo 2005
Release: 2005
Label: self released

Track List:
1. What's it Worth?
2. Release!
3. Up to You
4. Step Back
5. This Walk
6. Missed the Point
7. The Reason

Before there was Seeker there was Vitality!. I picked this up at a show at Across the Street bar in 2005. I don't remember what show it was, probably something like Kids Like Us or Life Long Tragedy. It's times like this I wish my hard drive hadn't crashed in 2008 because I had a list of every show I'd been to up to that point. Naturally the list I keep now only goes back to that time.

Anyways, if you've heard Seeker and this sounds similar it's because of David Horn and his vocals that manage to come across as positive as he is in real life. This demo sounds a lot like Uniform Choice and Dag Nasty to me. Which is great because I love both those bands. If you do too you'll love Vitality!.

While I'm thinking about it, David Horn went to Africa. You should check out what he's doing there. Some people talk the talk about making a difference, very few people literally uproot their entire lives and move far away to walk the walk. If you listen to David's lyrics it's not surprising at all though.

From their MySpace (since I'm lazy):

Formed in the summer of 2004, VITALITY! originally played shows under the name AsxOne. The Houston hardcore band put out a 7 song demo, "Reality Check Demo 2k5" in the early part of 2005, with Ramiro Rangel drumming. After the release of the demo, Ramiro and the band parted ways, and Ryan Endsley became the newest member of the band. In December of 2005 and January of 2006, VITALITY! hit the studios again to record their first EP, Introspection.

Download: Vitality! - Reality Check Demo 2005 (LAME 3.98r V0) Multiupload

Download: Vitality! - Reality Check Demo 2005 (LAME 3.98r V0) Mediafire

The Wrists - Free Demo

Artist: The Wrists
Title: Free Demo
Release: 2005
Label: self released

Track List:
1. Test Pattern
2. Toxic Waste
3. Main Directive
4. Bury Your Own
5. Surgery Party
6. Bomb the Dance Floor
7. Final Few
8. If I Can't Have What I Want (I Don't Want Anything)
9. Get Slit

Here's another self released CD-R by Denton/Longview's The Wrists. Some of the songs are the same, but different recordings I believe. I think this was put out before the other CD-R, but it was within such a short time period that I don't really remember at this point.

"Main Directive" is by far my favorite song on this demo. Even today, nearly 6 years later it still gets stuck in my head sometimes.

Download: The Wrists - Free Demo (LAME 3.98r V0) Multiupload

Download: The Wrists - Free Demo (LAME 3.98r V0) Mediafire

The Wrists - The Wrists

Artist: The Wrists
Title: The Wrists
Release: 2005
Label: self released

Track List:
1. Hatecrimes
2. Lights Out/Blackout
3. Toxic Waste
4. Livin' in the Eyeball
5. I'm a Bug (The Urinals)
6. Bomb the Dance Floor
7. Gon' Freak-Out
8. Final Few

It's not every day you hear punk bands that have forsaken guitars in favor of two basses. It's been a few years, but I seem to remember Daniel (vocals, bass) telling me that you don't need a guitar, you can just play only the higher notes on a bass for the same effect. It sounds crazy but for The Wrists it actually worked.

To say this CD-R is lo-fi might be a bit of an understatement. It sounds like it was recorded in a bedroom because it literally was. Despite the highly distorted bass, raw screamed vocals, and Casio keyboard (probably the kind you used to be able to win on Legends of the Hidden Temple) there is something undeniably catchy and memorable about this disc.

I'm still surprised that I was actually able to rip this without any errors (I left the log file in to prove it). The band thought it'd be a cool idea to take the CD-R and spray paint their logo on it. Too bad my copy got spray paint on the data side of the disc. The first few times I tried to play it my DVD drive couldn't even read it.

Members of The Wrists have been in far too many bands for me to mention. The Wax Museums, High Tension Wires, Bad Sports, Frank Castle, and The Pumpers, among others I'm sure.

Download: The Wrists - The Wrists (LAME 3.98r V0) Multiupload

Download: The Wrists - The Wrists (LAME 3.98r V0) Mediafire

Shikabane - 自我と煩悩

Artist: Shikabane
Title: 自我と煩悩
Release: 2000
Label: Agipunk Records

Track List:
1. 憎悪 (Hatred)
2. 繰り返し・・・そしてまたその繰り返し・・・ (Repeat... And Repeat It Again...)
3. 自我と煩悩 (Ego and Desire)
4. 人のために生きるか 自分のために生きるか (Living for Someone or Living for Myself)

This record has been sitting on my desk since my last post nearly two months ago. I just never got around to ripping it. Better late than never I suppose.

I should note real quick that this fine blog, which I frequent, posted a rip of the CD version of this record that was put out by MCR. The CD version actually has an extra track, but for some reason it isn't noted on the disc itself nor is it included in the lyrics sheet.

This record is a bit more on the melodic and metallic side of things. In fact at times there is too much melody for this EP to really be considered grindcore like. It works for Shikabane though because this 7" is no less intense as any of their other output. The song length however might be an issue if you suffer from ADD as all the tracks are over two minutes.

Download: Shikabane - 自我と煩悩 (LAME 3.98r V0) Multiupload

Download: Shikabane - 自我と煩悩 (LAME 3.98r V0) Mediafire