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

Wax Moth- Spiracle EP tape review

Wax Moth- Spiracle EP tape review

The cornfields of the Midwest do occasionally churn out some respectable, odd music- who would have thought it could deliver some very raw-sounding crusty d-beat?  Not I- however, it did and it comes to fruition in the form of Wax Moth, from the desolate lands of Iowa.  A shrieked shout is the preferred delivery method for this band’s vocal payload, while the guitars are delivered on nearly the same level, with only small differences in the sounds of the guitar and the bass, and the drums are raw, distant, yet heavy d-beat that pounds hard at both the slowest of breakdowns and the fastest of riffs.  No lyric sheet, but judging by the song titles and the sound of the music, it appears to be a left-wing insect who can only communicate in high-pitched shrieks in an audible spectrum near and surpassing the peak of the human capability.  The songs individually are not great, but as a whole single piece, this is a pretty decent output for an EP.  Packaging is stellar as always from Mannequin Rein minus the lack of a lyric sheet.

-Aunty Social

Disobey- Power & Greed tape review

Disobey- Power and Greed tape review

Beginning with a black metal “Oomph!”, one might get the wrong idea about this EP.  However, this is His Hero Is Gone worship with an occasional lead break or melodic harmony shared between the two guitars.  This is dark hardcore that sounds like sludgy crust punk- even the likes of Xibalba and Harm’s Way come to mind when jamming this tape.  However, this is definitely a great majority part HHIG, a larger minority part Tragedy, and a smaller part general punk/ hardcore influences.  In a town devoid of decent crust punk, this is a refreshing sound to hear at times.  I kind of wish they were from here, as it would be a nice change of pace.  Worth the jam, no doubt.  For the crust, a must.  For the punk, not quite a slam dunk.

-Aunty Social

Deviated Instinct- Liberty Crawls to the Sanctuary of Slaves LP review

Deviated Instinct- Liberty Crawls to the Sanctuary of Slaves LP review

Contrary to most crusty albums I listen to, this one starts off kind of slow, almost like a British version of Xibalba.  The intro to “Blunt Instrument” is absolutely pounding, almost sounding like a hardcore band.  As the song progresses, deep growls are uttered over metallic riffs that ring almost like a cooler, non-hick version of Pantera.  Slap a west-coast hardcore band name on this and kids will go nuts- even as Deviated Instinct, it’s killer, and people should mosh to this.  “Architect of Misery” is definitely more along traditional crusty lines- galloping riffs, downtuned guitars, and ominous vocals.  The slower pace is better for the band, as some of the intensity is much more accented because of it.  “Thorn in Your Flesh” has the heavy hardcore feel once again, and despite my constantly comparing this band to modern hardcore band that are really, really heavy, these guys were doing this in the late 80s, so it would be no surprise if Harm’s Way or Xibalba jammed some Deviated Instinct at least once in the band members’ lives.  This band puts more energy into the guitars, however; the modern heavy hardcore bands put the oomph of their sound into the drums and the vocals.  “Blandscape Slavebait” begins with a splice of an audio snippet that sounds like a busy train or subway station and a distant acoustic guitar, then a melodic guitar strums away before the singer grunts and growls through a mid-tempo punky tune.  For the chorus, an alternate vocalist snaps in as well.  This song really only has two parts- not a very captivating song, and a confusing one as well.  “End Times” has a slightly faster pace and crunchier guitar, almost like the anarcho/ crust version of “Ain’t It Fun”- this was a real punisher.  Closing out this crusty record was “Judas Cancer”, a hardcore-sounding song that is not unlike Axegrinder, but actually enjoyable.  There are multiple instruments playing their own parts here- I really dug this track.

Not the most explosive release of the year, but a fair LP for the average punk.  Crusties will eat this up, hardcore kids will make fun of them for it, and the world spins ‘round.  A respectable release- not time wasted.

-Aunty Social

Nu-kle-er Blast Suntan- The Wheel of Fate is Turning 7” review

Nu-kle-er Blast Suntan- The Wheel of Fate is Turning 7” review

The first thing I can note about this is that the vocals (80-90% of the time) sound very different than those on the ‘Blot Out the Worthless Sun’ LP- however, intensity is still very much present.  The instrumentation is still very on point- weird as hell, yet still having enough of a linear focus to be able to bang’s one’s head to the tune of the music.  The guitar work is the truly unique, NBST mix of psychedelic, crust punk, hardcore, and thrashy riffs and licks, with bits of sheer mindfuckery spliced in.  All three songs are independently punishing tracks, “Judgment” being the best among them.  However, it is very difficult to explain NBST to someone who hasn’t heard them- rather than being a snobby hipster and pretending I’m awesome for discovering this awesome band that happens to be extremely unique, I instead implore anyone who likes extreme or weird music to give this EP a listen- while the LP is a little more forward, this is a step deeper into the psychedelic element that makes that band much more diverse and interesting.  This could be (in my opinion) one of the most unique, strangely punishing bands to watch out for.  Highly recommended.

-Aunty Social