Shitstorm- Paranoid Existence CD review

Shitstorm- Paranoid Existence CD review

Fast, heavy, short, and brutal- what else could you want out of a grind band?  I am generally not a big fan of grindcore, but this has a very Lack Of Interest/Neanderthal/west coast powerviolence feel to it, and I like that a lot.  The downtuned guitars coupled with the blastbeats and misanthropic lyrics/vocals will tear you up- twenty-seven songs in sixteen minutes.  This should remind you of what the Circle Jerks were if they tuned down and (somehow) sped up.  Miami is known to have hurricanes from time to time, but this is a Shitstorm, and it leaves a trail of destruction just the same.

-Aunty Social

Crisis Unit- The Tape review

Crisis Unit- The Tape review

This sounds like what California’s Media Blitz was trying to do, but better.  Crossover-ish hardcore with an emphasis on tight drums and only slightly deeper than average vocals.  Not exceptional, but good.  Worth seeing where a four song 7” would go.

-Aunty Social

Meth Mouth- Waste of Life EP review

Methmouth- Waste of Life EP review

Powerviolence/fastcore at its finest and downtuned-est, it’s maybe the length of the single side of a 7” at 33.3 RPM, but enough anger for both sides of it.  Think Downsided with less political commentary, tuned down a step or so.  Not complicated, but still pretty good if nothing else for a slipping in someone’s hipster party playlist just to piss everyone off, because that’s funny.

-Aunty Social

Hit List- You’re Next EP review

Hit List- You’re Next EP review

This EP makes me want to rip my dick off, throw it at skinny people, and proceed to beat the fuck out of everyone weaker than me.  Not shoot, not stab, but punch; choke; slam; kick; skull bash; strangle.  Baseball bats could also be considered acceptable in this situation.  Imagine if Axel from Streets of Rage went on a huge ‘roid rage- that’s what this EP is like.  It exaggerates every part of straight edge hardcore to the most ridiculous lengths, and it’s awesome.  Not gonna lie, these are some real crowd-killing, hate-moshing, clean-up-your-life-while-you-mop-up-the-mosh-floor jams.  Guttural grunts, burly bass lines, garbled grinding guitars, awesome alliterations, and simple but very direct and uncompromising lyrics.  This straight edge cuts to the chase, not to the veins.  Recommended.

-Aunty Social

Nazi Dust- Wretched Hour 12” review

Nazi Dust- Wretched Hour 12” review

Super noisy, mile-a-minute, grindy hardcore punk, minimalistic in every way, from lyrics to sound to imagery.  It’s simplistic and somehow modern in its craft, despite being loosely based on music that’s thirty to forty years old; it’s got an aura of mysterious guy hardcore and is indeed shrouded in mystery regarding its origins and its plans as an entity.  Youth Attack had a hand in getting this band on the map, and is not unlike the bands that share that roster with them- let that be a preliminary guide to what they sound like.  Still, it is well-harnessed to project energy of sonic and propagandic proportions (lyrics are short, stuttered, and repeated- this is classic propaganda, be it good, bad, or indifferent).  Grab a schizophrenic with anger problems off the street, put him (or her) in front of a microphone, and give him/her a band of kids who like angry and fast sounds, but don’t know much about playing instruments- bam, you’ve got Nazi Dust and their latest offering, this “Wretched Hour” one-sided 12”.

-Aunty Social

Cubone's Brigade- Train & Destroy EP review

Cubone’s Brigade- Train & Destroy EP review

Poke-core?  I never thought this would see the day.  For the single reason that this is Pokemon-infused youth crew-styled hardcore punk, you should immediately check this out.  However, if that is unsuitable, it can be summed up in greater detail.  This is good old youth crew, fast/ slow parts and poetic vocalists intact, and the lyrics are all about Pokemon-based stuff.  To be honest, you were either a Pokemon kid or you weren’t.  If you were, and you happen to like punk/ hardcore as well, then you will adore this.  If not, then you might view this with some skepticism.  However, much of my childhood is rooted in this little universe (With a pen, paper, and some time, I could probably name all 150 originals), so I loved it.  You should too.

-Aunty Social

Hardware Youth- Miami Style EP review

Hardware Youth- Miami Style EP review

I’m somewhat surprised there hasn’t been a fest called Sausage Fest yet; at the very least, it would generate some discussion and therefore, some promotion.  Speaking of sausage fests, hardcore is a GIANT sausage fest, more so than punk, ska, hip-hop, or metal.  The women involved in hardcore are few and far between, and such gender isolation is a tragedy.  I won’t go into any lengthy discussion on how or why this is, and instead stick to supporting current and future female involvement in hardcore.
Side note:  Shout-outs to Anna Atanassova, Ramona Shureb, Stefania Ramirez, Michelle of H.LA.L. Booking, Jill Bishop, Alejandra from the Trumbullplex, Christine McCollum, Madison from Cloud Rat, and anyone else I forgot.

This is classic 2-step youth crew-style hardcore, save for one thing:  There’s a female singer, a rarity for this style of music.  However, singer Nicole does not lack in vocal power or emotion; the only noticeable difference is that her voice is a bit less deep than is usual for the genre, hardly a surprise or an issue to worry about.  These tunes are catchy as hell, especially the initial song “Word to the Wise”, managing to retain a level of speed satisfactory to punk and an amount of mosh brought satisfactory to hardcore brethren.  Also a first for a hardcore band, they have a song about surfing; fuckin’ cool!  Most bands sing about skateboarding or bike riding (Canadians even have snowboarding), so this is a first.  That being said, this is also the first Miami punk or hardcore band I’ve heard of (I’m certain there are more, but this is the first I’ve heard from Miami); most hardcore and punk from Florida is from the northern part of the state- Jacksonville, Tallahassee, Gainesville, etc.  There’s a bit of something new and something used here- regardless of any of this, a pretty damn good EP.  Also, this is a fucking awesome band name (our generation is getting dangerously plugged into this interconnected consumer information hardware system).  Check this shit, you won’t regret it.

-Aunty Social

Captive Bolt- Rape, Slaughter, Slavery, & Vivisection 7" review

Captive Bolt- Rape, Slaughter, Slavery, and Vivisection 7” review

The first thought I had when I heard this was that it sounded like U.D.I. added a couple breakdowns and went vegan; in retrospect, this is somewhat accurate, though not entirely so.  This music is a bit asymmetrical, and it works.  Their rhymes are slanted, their time signatures are a little off, and their timing is not exact; it doesn’t even matter (I prefer it this way), because the vocals on this record are so accusatory, venomous, and snotty that it feels like the proverbial finger is being pointed directly at you.  Musically, this is asymmetric 80s hardcore as it should be- young, fast, and snotty.  There’s nothing to complain about there.  The lyrics are relatively usual vegan punk stuff, but one line really caught me for some reason or another, and it set the band’s lyrics one notch above their contemporaries:  “I’d call you a sheep, but that is much too kind.”  Burn!  “Justified Arson” also has an appropriate, killer breakdown towards the end; 80s hardcore doesn’t usually do well with breakdowns, but this particular one ruled.  The band finished the record with the Gorilla Biscuits cover “Cats and Dogs”- an unexpected surprise, and a pleasant one at that.  This record fucking rules, especially for a first 7” release.  Captive Bolt is already on the rise as a stellar band- look out for ‘em.

-Aunty Social