Green Beret- The Cult of State 7" review

Green Beret- The Cult of State 7” review

Boston hardcore plus old-school D-beat equals one of my favorite current bands.  With a slightly different approach than their 12” but with the same hard-as-nails anti-war vibe, they plow through six ragers in as many minutes, commanding attention with a droning, bleating voice that sounds like the voice on an air raid siren.  The drums are no doubt in the front seat driving the song, but everything flows together so well that it’s difficult to say which is more important, in terms of instruments.  This is everything a hardcore punk 7” should be.

-Aunty Social

Peacebreakers- demo tape review

Peacebreakers- demo tape review

Gruff, gritty, raw, white knuckle, blue collar, nose-to-the-grindstone hardcore punk outta Boston, Mass.  It’s only three song and about four minutes long, but it’s the essence of no-frills hardcore punk- not naïve, not complicated, not normal, not long, and not afraid to poke fun at itself.  I suppose instead of telling one what it isn’t, it would be more pertinent to say it IS:  It’s hardcore punk rock, the soundtrack to tossing a glass bottle across the room at the back of someone’s head and starting a brawl- a modern-day, American version of Blitz, if one will.  Classic and simple- much recommended, not to mention that my copy was taped over an old INXS tape- not THAT’S punk rock!

-Aunty Social

Opposition Rising- Get Off Your Ass Get Off Your Knees 10” EP review

Opposition Rising- Get Off Your Ass Get Off Your Knees 10” EP review

Unlike the LP and the sound started by the preceding band Mouth Sewn Shut, the first three songs are strictly hard-hitting, heavy, misanthropic hardcore punk.  “Guilty” is about the distrust in one’s fellow man and inverse to the principles of the judicial system (the only realistic approach for a cynic or a pessimist).  “No Way Out” is a discussion of how those involved in the scene, much as they try to get out and live a “normal” life, don’t seem to be able to, and should instead accept one’s existence as a cog in a countercultural machine.  The ‘lifers’ of this social scene, the ones who have really stuck around for an extensive period of time, really ARE in it for life, whether they have the absolute desire to be or not.  “I’m an Infidel”, even though it sounds like an advertisement for a particular type of wine (zinfandel, for those who are wondering), is the angriest, hardest song on the record.  Rather than criticizing one religion, it points the finger at the evangelical/Abrahamic religions, who condemn nonbelievers as so-called ‘infidels’ who must face conversion or destruction.  A very memorable tune.  The B-side is completely different than the A-side; the first song “Get Off Your Ass, Get Off Your Knees” is in the tune of the Mouth Sewn Shut/first album, in that it has the upbeat ska/reggae tone mixed with the anarcho punk undertones in the lyrics and vocals.  It is very danceable and catchy, for all those who enjoy the bubblegum sensation of catchy, danceable song.  The last song is a remix of songs on the first LP into a slower version; a medley, so to speak.  Nothing new, but it’s easier to understand the lyrics, which is good in a way.  Packaging on the record is nice, though I think it could have fit on a 7”.  Nice work.

-Aunty Social

The Rival Mob- Mob Justice promo tape review

The Rival Mob- Mob Justice tape review

After seeing an ungodly amount of hype for this band, I decided to see if it was truly warranted.  The intro did not grab me very well- the bass was kind of inaudible, and there is a dire need for more bass in hardcore, and in general.  The first real track was pretty fucking gnarly- even the very timely breakdown had some good riffs, and the faster punk parts were rough and could be a dead ringer for an SSD or experimental Deep Wound song.  “Boot Party” is a tiresome “don’t talk shit” song, but at least hardcore kids are still into Doc Martens, I suppose.  I like fast, and this song was one long breakdown.  “Be Somebody” returns to what this band seems to do well- fast enough, breaks down enough, and apparently ‘hard’ enough; imagine an east coast, straight edge, less bleak Cold As Life.  “Fake Big” has an important message, but again, it feels like one very long breakdown (i.e. having one tempo for the entire duration of the song), and that’s fucking boring.  “We’re the Boys” is, I believe, a cover of an Oi! song (if it isn’t a cover, you fooled me), and they manage to make Oi! sound somewhat modern- I’ll raise a glass of pop and sing this (yes, pop- you all have it wrong everywhere else).  “Philcore for Philcore” sounds exactly like an NYHC outtake- it seems almost tongue-in-cheek.

Ultimately, this band has some high-echelon hardcore that really rips; then, they have some very humdrum one-tempo songs I don’t care for.  Definitely worth checking out and getting into, but worth the endless hype?  Highly debatable.  Come to our fair city and play a set- that’d be the ultimate tie-breaker.

-Aunty Social

Draize- s/t LP review

Draize- self-titled LP review

I’m a little late to the party on this one, but I feel like this deserves mentioning anyways.

Powerviolence meets hardcore meets a little doom metal- or better yet, early D.R.I. meets Cold as Life meets pretty much any doom metal band (let’s not kid ourselves, the sound difference between bands is minimal).  However, even this description is only general.  The drums are like galloping thunder here- pounding and utterly crushing, alternating between a jackhammer and a sledgehammer, without any compromise for intensity.  The guitars are downtuned to a hellish pitch, an unusual feature for powerviolence, but it sets them apart for the better.  The vocals are more of a hardcore tone, sometimes speeding up for a faster delivery, a la Lack of Interest.  Though pretty much every song on here is absolutely crushing, ‘Broken Teeth’ seems to stand out the most- sounds like Death in Custody on a 45.  It’s not easy to classify this band under any one genre, but they seem to fit well under the umbrella of heavily powerviolence-influenced hardcore, which has become much more popular as of late (this came out in January 2011, I believe)- still, even under this umbrella, the lower tuning Draize has makes their minute-long songs that much heavier and angrier.  This is not an LP to ever sleep on- I am really regretting doing that now (writer’s note:  I saw these guys in Grand Rapids in early 2011, and I wasn’t fully aware of how good they were at the time).  If you like heavy, fast, or angry, you’ll love this.

-Aunty Social

Opposition Rising- Aftermathematics CD/ LP review

Opposition Rising- Aftermathematics CD/ LP review

This record picked up right where Mouth Sewn Shut left off; still sporting the crusty reggae/ ska feel with all the fury of a hardcore punk record, these are ten punishing tracks that show the 99% can hate and groove.  The record begins with the intro song “Rising”, an allusion to the beginning of a war, perceived or actual.  It allows a nice transition into the real bones of the record, the “chapters”, one might say.  Some of the better songs on this record are some of my personal favorite songs in general.

“F.T.W.” has been making its rounds on compilation albums, namely the 4-way split 7” with In Defence, Hellmouth, and Embrace the Kill, the Crash Assailant compilation CD, and the Riotska digital compilation, deservedly so- it is the new anthem of the nihilist of today.  “Pink Slip Murder Suicide” is the new “going postal” theme song (on an unrelated note, the massacre that made the term ‘going postal’ famous took place in Royal Oak, at the same place I get my mail from), and its pulsating rhythmic beat thumps like a gun going off, raising hate in the brain and blood pressure in the veins.  “Tell Them Nothing” is the radio-friendly, all-encompassing version of “Stop Snitchin”, and one that resonates a lot more deeply with the majority.  It serves as a reminder that speaking to the so-called authorities is not in one’s best interests, under any circumstances.
For a positive lyrical turn, “Brick By Brick” speaks about those who might try to destroy the community we (as punks) have all worked to build by copping out or conforming, as the song terms.  However, it is also possible to look at the song title in a reverse way, as rebuilding this community we have built, brick by brick.  Even in nihilism, there is hopefulness.  “Debt Sentence” is about the new phenomenon of people being economically enslaved by the money they owe to lenders.  With the relatively recent crisis in the housing market and in the lax oversight on lending, people have suddenly become anchored down and enslaved by their debts.  “Destination Apocalypse” is the final “chapter” of the album/ story, and its conclusion is a world in ruin, all the money rendered useless and the obsession with belongings, monetary or tactile things, rendering the 1% (my words, not theirs) pragmatically impotent.

Though these are not the only songs on the record, these are the best and most worthy of discussion; the other songs are also stellar, so this indeed is a complete work.  Bill Damon (lead singer) is a crust punk genius, an inventive S.O.B. with a ton of passion.  Anyone who liked Mouth Sewn Shut and/or Toxic Narcotic will love this, and it will resonate well with the rest of the crusties, punks, and rudeboys too.  Buy this, now!

-Aunty Social