All About Friends Forever Compilation

     All About Friends Forever represents everything that an underground metal/hardcore community should be about: DIY ethic, unity, spirit of independence, bands from all over the country coming together to contribute to a compilation album that provides a sampling of the scene today, and as it turns out, yesterday as well.  The original AAFF comp was released in 1996, and featured tracks by many legendary bands such as Coalesce, Threadbare, Botch and Trial.  Fast forward to 2012 and we will be treated to an updated version that will include two volumes: 1) the original LP remastered with two new bonus tracks; 2) an entirely new LP with tracks from current bands such as Great Falls, Tiger Flowers, Helms Alee, Ladder Devils and Torchbearer to name a few.  There is record release show in the works as well that's brought to you by the fine folks at 1000 Knives:

     There is also a facebook page devoted to this project if you want additional information and updates.  The Kickstarter page should provide more than enough info though.  There are many donation levels to choose from, ranging from the digital download for a mere $12 for 24 tracks, to $500 which includes the double LP, digital download, a t-shirt, original artwork by Rich Hall of 1000 Knives and more.  If you're a fan of forward thinking hardcore and/or nostalgic for that 1990's sound, do yourself a favor and support this comp.  I highly doubt that you'll be disappointed.

Great Falls - Fontanelle

     Let's start out with a little math: GF = PE - AG.  Is Great Falls really just Playing Enemy minus the considerable talents of Andrew Gormley, or are they something more?  On their first full length album, Fontanelle (Paradigms Recordings, 2011), Great Falls do their noisy best to shake off the Playing Enemy influence, but when it really comes down to it, the band is very similar to PE.  I'm not sure who the drummer is, but their sound is more abrasive than Gormley but with less flavor, technical proficiency and intensity.  I mean, come on, it's hard to top the drummer from Rorschach and Kiss it Goodbye.  Bassist/vocalist Shane Mehling's distorted sound is sort of like a metal garbage can dropped off the edge of a cliff (in a good way). He also screams his lungs out in blood curdling fashion to what seems to be the point of exhaustion.  Guitarist Demian Johnson ups the noise factor from previous PE releases to unlistenable thresholds.  It's hard to complain about this album though because this is my kind of band playing my kind of music.  They are not quite punk, metal, noise or hardcore; they are a unique and horrifying blend of these genres. 

     Most tracks are mid paced, and they're noisy, abrasive and punishing.  The whole album is a real downer.  If you're a bar tender and you want the crowd to clear out after last call, put this puppy on to get immediate results.  Who even plays music like this nowadays?  KEN mode, My America, Today is the Day, or maybe Narrows?  They're similar but not quite the same.  The stand out tracks for me came toward the end of the album: All Clean Necks and Neverwild.  I guess good things come to those who wait.  All Clean Necks has a catchy bass line with an awesome middle section with a disturbing slow bass drum beat.  It's sort of triumphant at the end as the pace begins to build and everything prepares to explode.  Neverwild is by far the most unique track on the album.  Featuring the filthy guest vocals of Ryan McKinney (Trap Them), the main riff is quickly paced and flirts with black metal. It's a disjointed and nasty track but connects at the end and comes home for the big win.   Enough praise cannot be bestowed on the artwork of Demian Johnston either. His work seamlessly blends simplicity, nature and realism, and has been a mainstay of all of PE and Great Falls' releases.  From being a musician in this band, an artist AND running a label (Dead Accents), Demian's creative streak is not unlike Aaron Turner of Isis fame.  Overall, this is a jarring release and should appeal to fans of quirky, off center extreme music.  Support this album now!

Juliet's First Hardcore Song: Can You Handle the Cuteness???

     A few friends of mine on Facebook posted this viral video on their pages.  At first I was skeptical but I'm glad I checked it out.  Juliet is an 8 year old Aussie who loves her dog Robert, stuffed animals, trampolines and hardcore/deathcore.  She knows what she likes and is confident enough to create some tunes and a video with I guess her dad?  Don't expect anything groundbreaking from the music as the song itself is very generic, but it's well produced as is the video.  The real draw here is adorable Juliet and Robert.  Are you down with the cuteness?

Pyrrhon, Don't Give a Fuck and Last Letters at Saint Vitus, Brooklyn, 11-28-2011

     Pyrrhon for free and $1 Gennesy cream ale cans all night, how could I say no?  That was a hard offer to pass up, so I headed in to Greenpoint, Brooklyn, for the show.  Shows at Saint Vitus have been happening for a few years now, and they are labeled as an exclusively metal venue.  Their reputation as a gathering place for metal fans in NYC has been growing, as indicated by the recent book signing done there by none other than the dark lord of metal himself, Tony Iommi. As metal is synonymous with high volumes, the venue is very loud and it is always difficult to carry on a conversation in the bar area.  As for the sound quality in the stage area, the situation is the same.  For better sound, I would prefer the intimate settings of Union Pool and The Acheron.  The warm tones at The Bell House are far superior as well.  Beer wise, they have a decent selection though, from cans of PBR up to fresh seasonal items from Six Point on draft.  After arriving too late for Risk, Brian and I settled in to a few pints of Six Point Sweet Action to start off the night. 

     Don't Give A Fuck were up soon after I got my pint.  Unfortunately, I missed them at the Acheron when they opened for Gaza, Defeatist and Tiger Flowers.  They seem to be going for a two man powerviolence style approach.  Comparisons to Iron Lung could be made (as the drummer sings in DGaF as well), but they are not as straightforward as Iron Lung. DGaF have other influences as well, such as hardcore punk and they tend to get a little more emotional than the icy Iron Lung.  It's interesting to see how they skillfully pull it all together.  Their demo is available for free on their Bandcamp page and comes highly recommended.  

     Up next was an screamo band from NJ called Last Letters.  Supposedly they were invited by the guys from DGaF to play the show.  Why, I have absolutely no idea.  Even at their most melodic and emotional, DGaF is infinitely more brutal than Last Letters.  The musical connection is hard to find, so I don't quite get it. The vocalist had the cutest little angular haricut and looked adorable in his sleeveless Cure t-shirt. To tell you the truth, I immediately thought of the Cephalic Carnage video for "Dying Will be the Death of Me" when I saw him on stage.  Please check out the link to the video below. 

     They might be good at what they do, but I'm surely not into it.  After their set, Brian quipped, "the vocalist will probably go home and cry his eyes out into his Morrisey tapes," and I couldn't agree more.  Again, If you're into this sort of thing then so be it, but I just don't understand why they would play a show with the quirky, challenging and technical brutality of Pyrrhon. 

     After Last Letters, Brian and I understandably needed a drink, so we switched things up and went for the $1 can special.  It was Brian's birthday, but I unfortunately couldn't convince him to let me buy him a glass of scotch.  The cream ales were surprisingly tasty and I think i might prefer them to PBR or Miller Lite.  Seeing Pyrrhon take the stage gave me a deep sigh of relief considering what just came off the stage.  These guys are like death metal magicians and it was a pleasure to see them perform again. The last time I saw them was at the Flourishing record release show earlier in the year and I was as enthralled with them then as I am now.   I'm so happy to see such an amazing and fresh death metal act come from this area.  They are in the hungry, vibrant and hyper creative phase of an excellent band's early career.  Their first ep, Fever Kingdoms (The Path Less Traveled, 2010), was an interesting take on Hate Eternal inspired death metal and they displayed much promise.  Listening to the new album however, An Excellent Servant but a Terrible Master (Selfmadegod, 2011), makes it difficult to revisit the ep due to their exponential growth.  Tracks like Idiot Circles combine catchiness with technicality and come across very well when performed live.  Guitarist Dylan has mastered the sticky riffing and tone of Suffocation while drummer Alex subtely connects all the pieces of the puzzle.  Personally, bassist Eric is my favorite to watch as he skillfully and adroitly commands his instrument, laying down the bottom end in a fashion that would make Cliff proud.  Vocalist Doug rounds out this youthful all-star team with a healthy mixture of vocal effects ranging from guttural to a harsh rasp and spoken; one should take note of his deep vocabulary and the intellectual heft of his lyrics.  This band is poised to take their act to the next level and more well established extreme metal bands should be clamoring to have them join their package tours.  Here's to hoping that they become less of a regional and more of a national if not global phenomemon. 

Gaza, Defeatist, Tiger Flowers and Don't Give a Fuck at The Acheron, Brooklyn, 11-12-2011



     On my way into Brooklyn, my friend Eric (bassist of Flourishing) asked me if I wanted to meet up for dinner before the show.  Since I hadn't eaten yet, I took him up on the offer.  After parking near the venue on a deserted industrial side street of Bushwick, I walked a few blocks over to meet him and his girlfriend, Alison, at a Roberta's Pizza.  We were shocked to find out that the wait was two and a half hours to be seated.  Really Roberta's, 2.5 hours for pizza?!?  Other hipsters looked dismayed as they were turned away at the door by the ridiculous wait.  Bushwick is rumored to be the next Williamsburg, but it has a long way to go.  It does have its fair share of indie coffee shops, restaurants and bars, so it didn't take us long to find an alternative.  We settled on a nearby Mexican restaurant, Taqueria El Fogon.  This establishment was super authentic, from the food to the decor.  My fish tacos paired nicely with a Negra Modelo, but I regret not having a chorizo taco. 

     After the fine fare, we made our way over to the venue.  While walking through the streets, Alison noted that this area seems really gritty, in a quiet, cold and post-industrial kind of way.  This is in line with my earlier assessment of Bushwick, or at least these couple of blocks.  Dinner ran a little late, and we didn't make it to The Acheron until about 9 PM.  After joking with the door guy about the authenticity of my $100 bill, I went in.  Note to self: why am I always carrying large bills at shows?  Maybe it's subconscious thoughts of hitting the merch table hard later in the night.  Anyway, I heard a few chords from the opener, Don't Give a Fuck, and then made my way to the bathroom.  Word on the street is that the Acheron is a DIY spot, and in true punk spirit the bathroom had no soap.  Uncleansed, I headed back to the stage area only to find that DGaF finished there set. 

     The Acheron's stage area is long, narrow and dark, and off to the left is another small room for merch and a bar.  The walls are adorned with colorful flyers from previous shows.  The special for the night was a can of Busch and a shot of your choice for 5 bucks.  Since I had to drive back to NJ later that night, I went for something a little more tame, a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale.  We met up with my friend Curran (Wetnurse, Today is the Day, Precious Metal) at the bar.  Today is the Day recently played the MetalSucks Fest the previous weekend, so we talked about that for a while and the progress of his many other creative projects.  Eager to see local favorites Tiger Flowers, we went back to the stage area.  The last time I saw Tiger Flowers was at the Cake Shop in Manhattan with Flourishing and a generic NeurIsis clone from Norway, the name of which escapes me.  Damn, they have grown into quite a formidable beast in the live setting.  First off is the singer who is high energy and has over the top stage presence. Couple that with their burly, noisy and intelligent hardcore, and you're in for a treat.  Tracks like Weight come across so well live.  The drummer plays with heart and not technicality.  The bass player however is much more precise, switching from pick to fingers when appropriate and even doing some slap work at times.  The day after the show, I was so impressed with them that I picked up their new EP on Amazon.  It didn't set me back much; a mere $3.96 for a 4 track ep, so do yourself a favor and buy it now.  Overall the ep doesn't quite stand up to their live show, but it's still very high quality for a first release.  As they mature more as a band and continue to play out, their material will only improve.  

     At the conclusion of Tiger Flowers set, Eric and I went to the bar for another round of Sierra Pale Ales.  We ran into Doug, the vocalist of local tech-death heroes, Pyrrhon. It was my first time meeting him, though I've seen his band a few times.  I remember complementing him on his menacing stage presence.  Their new album, An Excellent Servant but a Terrible Master is out now, but I can't seem to find it on itunes or amazon for digital purchase.  Hopefully they will have physical copies at their next show.  Things started to get loud and nasty in the other room.  Defeatist were up.

     A few days prior to the show, Defeatist announced that they are breaking up.  If my memory serves me correctly, their statement said something to the effect that 'this turd needs to finally be flushed down the toilet.'  Though I've never been very fond of them, their assessment of themselves is a bit too harsh.  Bassist Josh  and drummer Joel played some Radiation Blackbody to warm up.  That's their noisy math rock side project which I highly recommend.  Defeatist's set was, well Defeatist.  Their grind is short, fast and right to the point.  That's usually the case with grind, but they just don't give you anything to grab onto.  There's no meat on the bone.  They're like a grind light switch: grind on; grind off.  Their skill set is top notch though, especially Joel.  Drummers out there should take note of his ability to control volume and precision at hyper speeds.  

     All the way from Utah, Gaza were up to headline.   Last year I got my hands on their album, He is Never Coming Back (Black Market Activities, 2010).  It didn't do too much for me and was sort of in one ear and out the other.  Albeit bruising, burly and brutal, I didn't quite get their wide spread appeal.  That was of course until I saw them perform.  Some bands are clearly must see live bands, and Gaza fit into this category. Now I see why they have had a strong influence on other bands such as Engineer, Bone Dance and Tiger Flowers.  Their volume was just massive. One of the guitarist's speaker cabinets was this monstrous grey beast (see pic below).  I don't know what brand it is but I've never seen anything like it.  The vocalist, who stood at an imposing 6'5"+, ran into the crowd and picked someone up and carried them into the back of the venue on a few occasions.  At one point it was the crowd doing gang vocals versus me, and me versus the wall.  Guess who won?  The wall.  Yea, it was that kind of show and worth every moment.

Argonauts, Torchbearer and others in New Brunswick, NJ, 10/7/2011



     Around 7 o'clock, I picked up my friend Tom and we headed out to the show.  His wife seemed a little scared about where we were going in New Brunswick, so we did our best to assuage her fears.  I'd rather not divulge the actual address, needless to say it was at a venue called 'the alamo'.  Maybe the name implies that it's NB punk's last stand against the police's crack down on underground shows?  With that in mind, punk shows in NB these days go by secret word of mouth at a location that is unknown to anyone outside of the punk community.  The flyer for this show actually says to "ask a hot mule" for the location.  Finding the addresses are usually not that hard; any band member will gladly give it to you if you don't have the trappings of a narc.  Famed drummer Dave Witte actually supplied me with the location. 

     After a long walk through the stygian streets of NB, we rolled up on an eerily quiet house.  My friend said, "this is the place?"  I responded with, "we have the right address, but it doesn't look right."  We stopped a guy walking into the backyard and asked if "this was it."  He said "I don't know what you're talking about" and walked on.  Not rebuffed, we ventured forth into the backyard.  We were hit immediately with long, cold stares from a sea of punks and metal-heads pounding beers and puffing cigs.  Dave broke the ice with, "these guys are cool."  We shook hands and things gradually warmed up from there. 

     Shortly after we arrived, the first band was up.  About half the crowd in the backyard made their way down the cellar door to the basement.  The guy checking people in seemed annoyed by my $20 bill (it was 5 bucks to get in).  Maybe it was because I was one of the first to pay and he didn't have a lot of change, but there is an outside chance that larger denominations are not 'punk'.  Needless to say, the basement was cramped, but not packed with people (yet).  There were two clear escape routes so the chance of a 'Great White' was little to none. Dethroned Emperor were up.  These dudes were probably the first two man (guitarist/vocalist and drummer) death-thrash band I've ever seen.  They were energetic and raw, but they definitely had that 'opening band' feel.   My head was nodding along to their catchy riffs and I especially enjoyed the vocalist's roar, but the two man approach to this genre is just not enough.  They would be greatly benefited by the addition of a bassist to fill out the bottom end and maybe some backing vocals.  A second guitarist wouldn't hurt either. 

     At the conclusion of DT's set, we made our way upstairs to the fresh(?) air.  I found myself thirsty and asked Tom if he wanted to head to the liquor store.  He agreed and off we went.  A few lengthy blocks later we came up to a Spanish bodega.  My hopes of finding some quality beer were low, but upon entering I was pleasantly surprised by their selection.  Keeping things fresh and crisp was on my palate so I decided to go with two pints of Paulaner Hefeweizen.  Tom doesn't drink beer and went with the far less 'metal' Mike's hard lemonade.  We barely made it back in time for the next band, Regents.  They were sort of a screamo thing; I dug them.  Supposedly their drummer, who gave a phenomenal and powerful performance, is from a well known older hardcore band, the name of which escapes me.  They did seem a little out of place with the other bands though, given their style.  Tom, who likes keeping things punishing and brutal, said, "you actually liked that shit?"

     After Regent's set, the backyard was super packed with anticipation of the headliner.  Many of the NJ/NYC hardcore/metal community's elite members were in attendance.  In addition to the cast of characters in Argonauts, I noticed Ben Weinman from The Dillinger Escape Plan, Mike Olender from Burnt by the Sun, Doc Coyle from God Forbid, Mike Hill from Tombs/Anodyne, Rich Hall of 1000 Knives Booking and a few of the dudes from Syd Barret/Arson.  Even Adam Doll (ex-The Dillinger Escape Plan)was there, paralyzed from the arm pits down in his wheel chair.  Ben carried him down stairs on his back to watch Argonauts later in the evening.  The presence of so many hardcore luminaries points to the unique nature of this show.  When is the last time Dave Witte played a tiny basement, for instance?  The feverish tension of the evening was ready to boil over but was cooled by the noisy hardcore stylings of New Brunswick's own, Torchbearer.  These guys have come a long way since their promising first seven inch, The Worst is Yet to Come.  I've been following them since seeing the band open the Lifetime/Endeavor benefit for Rich Cunningham at The Court Tavern and the Rorschach reunion show with Black Kites at Asbury Lanes.  Their set tonight was tight, cohesive and focused.  The layering of guitars and controlled feedback put them in a different league than the openers.  Most of the material was from their new album, The Dirty Swagger, which is available as of this post.  I have yet to pick it up (digital only) but I plan to (and you should do the same).

     We chatted with Amit, the vocalist of Torchbearer after their set.  My wheat beers were treating me well too, as you can imagine.  They were a good choice to counteract the musty, Radon filled atmosphere of the basement.  The time has finally come; Argonauts were about to perform.

     The headliners are clearly a NJ metal/hardcore super group: Dimitri Minakakis (ex-The Dillinger Escape Plan) on vocals; Dave Witte (Municipal Waste, ex-Disordance Axis, ex-Burnt by the Sun, countless others) on drums; John Adubato (ex-Burnt by the Sun, ex-Time's Up) on guitar; and Brett Bamberger (East of the Wall, ex-Postman Syndrome) on bass and backing vocals.  With that pedigree, I was beyond excited to see what these guys would create.  No advanced tracks were online to check out and they have no recorded material yet, so no one really knew what they sounded like going in.  Dimitri himself actually said it was their third show.  So did they live up to the hype?  Yes and no.  There were some surprises, but it wasn't what I was hoping for overall.  The basic riff and song structure clearly comes from Witte and Adubato.  Most of the songs sound like recycled or new BbtS material.  That's not a bad thing, as I loved that band, but what about doing something original or different?  During the set, I remember looking at Mike Olender and seeing a 'been there, done that' look on his face, and I can understand why.  As for Dimitri, he just seemed rusty, tired and out of gas.  I really expected more from his performance given his past abilities, but I hate to say the truth that it was lack luster.  There was a brilliant and shinning point to the performance though, and that was Brett.  He is a monstrous and technical bass player and adds a welcomed and fresh presence to the band.  His brutal backing vocals bring depth to the their sound as well.  I'm not saying that Dave and John didn't perform well, it's just that it felt like it was more of the same.  This band has an infinite well of potential from which to draw.  Let's hope in the future they try to expand their horizons and play more often.  As for Dimitri, break out the Under the Running Board 7" and pay attention and practise, because you need to bring that shit back!

    

    

Wolves in the Throne Room, Thou and Krallice at The Bell House, Brooklyn, NY, 9/13/2011

     My night began at The Draft Barn in the Gowanus section of Brooklyn.  This is one of many European style ale houses that have cropped up in the city as of late, and is clearly in the top tier.  They have over 300 beers in bottle in addition to 30+ on draft, focusing on Belgian, German and eastern European brews.  The food offerings include lots of sausages, schnitzel, and other Hungarian, Polish, and Romanian items in addition to standard American pub fare.  I decided to go with a pint of Mother's Milk Stout while I reviewed the menu.  It came down to either the gypsy steak or the pork special, and the bartender convinced me to go with the latter.  Fortunately, it was a good choice.  My plate was piled high with a giant slab of roasted pork on top of a fried potato pancake.  This was topped with a generous heap of sauteed onions, mushrooms and pickles.  Needless to say, the milk stout complimented the artery clogging dish quite well.  Toward the end of my meal my friend Brian showed up and I ordered another pint.  This time it was Captain Lawrence's Imperial IPA.  My high hopes for this brew were dashed due to over the top citrus flavors and an overall lack of balance. I wanted more hop bite, but this was a floral hop, not an acorn hop.  Tasting notes aside, it didn't stop me from finishing my pint while Brian wolfed down his chicken special (same as the pork special but with chicken).  While eating it he exclaimed, "do you realize how unhealthy this is?"  Yes, he cleaned his plate.  Tummy's full and two rounds of beer in, we made our way over to the venue.

     This was my first trip to The Bell House.  The main venue area has super high ceilings with wood beams and chandeliers.  This gives the place a sort of made to look old feel, but not in a bad way.  Local favorites Krallice were up first.  A few weeks prior I had the pleasure of seeing them perform at the House of Vans with Converge and Touche Amore.  Despite a strong performance, they seemed out of place with the other bands on that lineup and the hardcore kids didn't seem to take to them very much (as would be expected).  The sound in that huge venue is kind of washed out too, so that didn't help their intricate and challenging tunes.  Tonight was a different story though.  They were clearly in their element with the WitTR/Thou crowd, and the acoustics in the much smaller venue greatly enhanced the band's sound.  They were captivating, focused and powerful as always.  This band is not to be missed and very well might be NYC's best metal band at the moment.  It would be nice to see Mick Barr's blackened moan mixed in with Nick McMaster's confident death growl more effectively.  They tend to use either one or the other in each song.  In the live setting, some of their most powerful elements are the dynamic changes.  Nick's bass work tend's to follow it's own capricious path while the busy guitar work Barr/Marston compliment each other.  Unfortunately, I have yet to purchase their new album, Diotma, but it is next on my list.  Gilead Media recently pressed it on a sweet 2X12" 180 gram black vinyl.  These guys are on the edge of becoming huge, and they should consider doing lengthy North American and European tours to take their act to the next level. 

     Sludge monsters Thou were up next.  After heading to the merch area after Krallice, I ran into the drummer from Tombs, Andrew. We chatted for a while and discussed their recent European tour, which went over very well.  I'm happy to hear that Tombs is getting the attention they deserve.  As a long time fan of the band (and their previous bands, Anodyne and ASRA) it's great to see them become a success.  Definitely check them out live and prepare to be crushed by the hammer of blackened punk!  We caught the last half of Thou's set.  These dudes are so prolific that it's hard to keep up.  Some of their tracks were really aweseome (punishing groove fest) but it's not a good sign when the best one is a cover of Black Sabbath.  The vocalist needs to change up his approach too since his blackened rasp gets monotonous over time.  The crowd was totally into it though. 

     My final brew of the night was a pint of Six Point's Sweet Action.  It was a very easy drinking bock and definitely a session beer; a perfect compliment for a night of metal.  The headliners were now up.  Prepare oneself to bathe in the glow of Cascadian glory emanating from Wolves in the Throne Room!  Was there glory? Eh, not really.  The only thing I bathed in was the pungent stench of patchouli oil, body odor and incense.  It was as if a crusty, dread locked jam band played black metal.  Don't get me wrong, I love Diadem of 12 Stars, though Two Hunters didn't do much for me.  With their epic, majestic, melodic and lengthy tunes, I should have known that watching them perform would become an endurance test.  Maybe if there were couches or chairs it would have been more enjoyable, but then i would have to fight back the urge to fall asleep.  Krallice's tunes are of similar length, but they hold my interest the entire time.

     Who would have thunk it, but locals Krallice stole the show!  Despite this, do yourself a favor and support the WitTR/Thou tour if it hits your area.  Be sure to have a cup of a strong cup of coffee while experiencing WitTR though...