Vaccine Are Breaking Up.

Well, chalk this up as the first major bummer of 2013. Vaccine, the only straight edge hardcore/powerviolence band I gave a crap about, are calling it quits after 4 years of activity. Although the bands recorded output barely reaches 20 minutes (if at all), they really did leave a big impact on me in just how fucking out of control and vicious they sounded. "Human Hatred" is a masterpiece, and I still jam that record several times weekly. The band has given an official statement: 

Vaccine is calling it quits.
4 years, 100+ shows in 13 different countries, 40 something songs, 6 records, 2 comps...time to do something else.

We have three more shows in the works:

Saturday March 9th - Miami, FL w/ INFEST
Sunday March 10th - Orlando, FL (matinee show)
Saturday March 23rd - Easthampton, MA (last gig)

We are in the middle of finishing up our last record, which will be a 5 song split 7" with our mutant step child band NO FAITH. If all goes according to plan, and it never does, this will be out in the spring, May or thereabouts. This record does not have a home, if you would like to help out, feel free to hit us up at vaccinexxx (at) yahoo (dot) com

We also have a song on the TO LIVE A LIE RECORDS VOL II Comp coming out sometime this year, featuring Low Threat Profile, To The Point, Hummingbird of Death and other various rippers.

Our newest 10 song 7" entitled Dead Inside, was released on Tuesday, on PAINKILLER RECORDS
Our split 7" w/ COKE BUST will be out in time for these last shows on DRUGGED CONSCIENCE RECORDS

I think that just about covers everything.

Really sad to see these guys go. Especially since I haven't seen them live yet. Their new split with Coke Bust, and their 7" EP, "Dead Inside", are out now, and I'm eagerly looking forward to that upcoming split with No Faith. Hope they have success with whatever they do in the future, and until then, jam "Human Hatred" and break shit.

~VII

Grind Worldwide: Singapore

Yeah, I'm doing another one of these. The first article in this series was very well received and quite popular, and yet also met with much criticism about the lack of my including this band and that band. No one's perfect, I'm not trying to list every single grind band from the country I'm choosing, my apologies if I get your panties in a bunch. I'm only human.

Now that I've gotten that out of the way, lets talk about Singapore. A small island country off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula. Grindcore fans worldwide really took notice of this country with the break out popularity of the excellent band Wormrot a few years ago. They definitely made me want to investigate what this country had to offer in terms of grind, but it's been a bit difficult finding bands on my own. Not a whole lot of bands from this country are talked about. A million thanks to all the people who have helped me and given me bands to check out.

Wormrot: Their inclusion is downright obligatory. I mean, this blog is named after one of there songs for christ sake. By far one of the most promising and solid grindcore bands going right now, with two excellent albums issued by OG grind label Earache Records, and a couple more splits and EP's, Wormrot have continued to amaze and grow in popularity. Their style is definitely inspired by the old-school (thrashy riffs, tastefully deep and piercing high vocals), and mixing it up with more modern tempos and start-stop song writing. One listen to their latest album "Dirge" will leave you catching your breath and trying to keep up with their relentless intensity. I think that a new album is in the works (fingers crossed), and also keep an eye out on singer Arif Rot's new project Code/Error, which also features members of Maruta and Noisear.

Magnicide: Here's another band that shows incredible quality, and I think could definitely become a widespread favorite if more people knew about them. Magnicide is a 3-piece grindcore band that started in the mid/late 2000's. Much like Wormrot, their style pays homage to the old-school nuances of grind, but beefs it up with the tempos and guitar tones of today. Hardcore punk fueled riffs are played at light speed, I definitley can make a big Phobia comparison. These guys have a few releases out, including a split 7" with OG favorites Noisear. Check them out, I think you'll like them.

Demisor: We're going way back now, back to the late 80's when grindcore was really starting to take off. I have no doubt that Demisor didn't contribute to the worldwide grind scene, but for Singapore, I can definitely see them being one of the first bands to play that style in the country. If you like your grind crusty and reeking of death and rotten flesh, listen to Demisor. A band that has never released a full-length in their entire existence, instead releasing split after split for decades. Kick ass stuff, recommended for fans of Agathocles, Dahmer and Denak. 

Fallen World: The great part of doing this series is that I get introduced to quite a few really excellent bands I might not have known about had I ventured into the countries scene. A big case in point; Fallen World. This is a top notch grindcore band, I believe there a 4-piece, who definitely know how to deliver all the goods. For one, the vocals are fucking excellent! A deep, low, crusty male delivery, and a second vocalist that sounds something like if Avi from Magrudergrind was a chick. Not the fastest grind band there is, instead opting for more of a 1-2-1-2 blast momentum, with some tasteful metallic tremolo picking and breakdowns added into the mix. Check these guys out.

Pluto: From what I can tell, this is a pretty knew and relatively young band. I definitely wouldn't call them a grindcore band, not even a powerviolence band. Grimy, sludgy hardcore music is what we have here. Very occasional blast riffs leading into mid-tempo to molasses tempo riffs make up the music on their four song demo. It's a pretty solid release with a nice, bassy production and really good vocals. I'm stoked to hear more material from this band in the future. Download the demo here.

~VII

Stream the New Eddie Brock EP "Brand New Day"!

Baltimore hardcore band Eddie Brock have just dropped a new 7" titled "Brand New Day" on A389 Recordings. Eddie Brock play a style of hardcore heavily influenced by early powerviolence in the vein of bands such as Infest and Lack of Interest. I was a huge fan of their first 7" and after a few listens of "Brand New Day" I can definitely say that they have stepped their game up.

Thanks to A389 for letting us stream the EP!

Eddie Brock: Facebook, Bigcartel

A389 Recordings: Facebook, Website

~Andrew

VII's Top 10 EP's/Splits/Demos of 2011

10: +HIRS+ - "Worship": This Philadelphia drum machine grind duo has made quite a strong first impression with their debut physical release "Worship". This 4 minute, 1-sided 7" not only showcases this band has the ability to create and blast quality grind with the best of em, but also that they take an incredibly professional approach to their music and their athstetic, and I'm very excited to hear everything this band makes in the future.

9. Inside the Beehive - "Drink Bleach; Live Forever": A relatively late-comer this year, and another band that has displayed incredible quality with their debut EP. This NJ tech metal/grind outfit plays a style of music that I'm admittedly very picky about, bands like this are usually too spazzy/wanky for my taste, but ITB throw in enough good(and memorable)riffs and interesting song structures to keep me coming back to this EP. Plus a clean/polished production that still keeps the aggressive tone of the music, which I applaud them for.

#8: Punch - "Nothing Lasts": Simply put, Punch play a style of hardcore that I just love! "Nothing Lasts", my first real introduction to the band, is a solid 8 minute blaster that melds classic hardcore with hints of powerviolence. The vocals are aggressive, the songs are memorable, the drums are incredibly powerful(I love hearing this guy blast!). But my favorite thing about this EP has to be the production; a warm analog recording that suits the bands aggressive/raw sound like a glove. 

#7: Hoglust - "Support Hate": This is one of the first things released on the uber-prolific Grindcore Karaoke(back when they actually showcased grind and hardcore), and it's one of the only GK releases that has stuck with me and that I've listened to repeatedly over the year. Save for the completely unnecessary 2nd track,  I can't think of a single issue I have with "Support Hate". The dual vocals are fantastic, the production is excellently raw, the songs are great, what more can I say? Download it now!

                                           











#6(Tie): The Afternoon Gentlemen - splits with Cyborg and Osk: Holy fuck! The Afternoon Gentlemen completely came out of nowhere and left a coffee can sized hole in the heads of underground grind freaks in the states this year. A band this good needs to be heard by every grind fan in the world! I honestly can't say one of these splits is better than the other, they're both so damn good! Both TAG sides are some of the best grind I've heard all year, the Cyborg side is excellent old-school sounding powerviolence, and the OSK side is fucking stellar as well. It's just quality grind and hardcore with both of these splits, nothing bad about them at all!

#5: Worn Out - "Demo 2011": Here's one of the best demos that you hopefully, but probably didn't hear this year. Yet another up and coming band that made the smart move to have an incredibly professional first release. A pro-cassette demo with perfect production, a gnarly bass tone, seamless transitions between the short and oh-so-sweet songs, and face grinding intensity. It's just an incredible demo. Hope they record more in the future!

#4: Get Destroyed - "Shut In": I like Get Destroyed's previous 7" "Burnt Offerings", but I freaking love "Shut In"! Taking everything that made "Burnt Offerings" good and improving upon it ten-fold, Get Destroyed's latest offering is a mean, gruff, meaty, tough bastard child of powerviolence. The slow parts are devastating,  the guest vocals from Landmine Marathon vocalist Grace Perry are a great addition, just...just get it! 

#3: Sidetracked - "Uniform": How can I sum up Sidetracked's glorious 1-sided 7" "Uniform"? "Fucking brilliant" works. So does "Holy shit" and "what the hell was that". Perfect fastcore right here, 13 songs in about 2 1/2 minutes. Brevity's the name of the game, which can be the downfall of most grind bands, but Sidetracked have perfected the art of short-and-sweet on this release. "Runaway" is a fucking catchy song, it's true, and it's only about 20 seconds! The super raw production only enhances this blasting onslaught. Again, fucking brilliant.

#2: Water Torture - "s/t": Definitely the most enjoyable, catchy and listenable powerviolence EP I've heard this year. Half of the mighty Inerds make up this devastating Buffalo, NY duo and they play generally the same thing, but with a much darker/sludgier/heavier tone to them. I love the bass tone on this release, and the drums are played just right. Nothing flashy, nothing technical, just pure aggression. Yeah, I said it was catchy, but make no mistake there is nothing pretty or polished about this beast!

#1: Sea of Shit - "s/t": Probably won't come as a surprise to a lot of you that Sea of Shit's latest 7" made  my #1 spot. I praised the hell outta this thing in my review, and I stand by every word that I said in that post. This is the best EP I've heard this year. Fucking filthy, disgusting, distorted, grimy, disturbingly grotesque powerviolence. There is so much power and momentum to this release, it's just nonstop punishment, complete and utter audio torture, and I mean that in the best way possible. Sea of Shit 2011 son!!

Honorable Mentions:

• Mammoth Grinder/Hatred Surge - split
• Danny Brown & Black Milk - "Black and Brown"
• Dethroned Emperor - "War Grind Hell"
• Bastard Noise/Actuary - "Skeletal Uncertainty"
• Fuck the Facts - "Misery"
• Agoraphobic Nosebleed/Despise You - "...On And On And On"
• Grudges - "DEMOlition 2011"

~VII

Interview:Full Of Hell

• 
  

PA/MD band Full Of Hell have recently released their first LP entitled "The Roots Of Earth Are Consuming My Home" and are making a name for themselves by playing constant shows and adding many different elements to their simple hardcore sound which make them a very original and innovative band. I caught up with their vocalist Dylan and asked him a few questions.

~Dante Fotino

OG-Full Of Hell have recently released their first full length LP entitled "Roots Of Earth Are Consuming My Home." How was the reception from people been?

Dylan-From what I can tell, it's been largely positive. I'm extremely humbled and pleased that people have been so receptive. We were very confident going in that we would be proud of the finished product, but we were unsure what everyone else would think. Dom at A389 helped a lot of course. He had the record sent out to so many distros and reviewers sites before it was even released. Overall, it's been great.

OG-As any listener of your band could tell, your influences vary from Grind, to Sludge and even to Power Electronics; what were some of the main influences you guys had while writing the songs for the record?

Dylan-It is a little all over the board of extreme music. We were definitely under the influence of GASP, Throbbing Gristle, Cursed and Pg 99 while we were writing this, and as always, I personally was listening to a lot of Tom Waits.

OG-How were you guys approached by Dom from A389 and how do you think it has affected your band as a whole?

Dylan-Dom was under the impression that we were a KISS cover band from Ocean City. He brought us into the fold and once he released that we weren't what we said we are, he tried to cut off ties. Thankfully, we have him legally binded to us. God Bless America.

OG-You guys recently played one of the biggest Hardcore fests in America "This Is Hardcore" how was the experience of playing the fest and how did you guys feel the audience reacted to you guys, as you're not the traditional hardcore band that the fest is known to put on?

Dylan-It was really surprising to suddenly be a part of This is Hardcore. It happened last minute, and we were really grateful to be a part, but we also knew going in that we were kind of the odd men out. I wasn't sure how we were received until the days following the fest, and it seems like it went well. Joe is the absolute best promoter to work with and the entire weekend was a blast.

OG-You guys are doing a full US tour with Heartless, how did that offer come about, and will this be your first headlining tour?

Dylan-Adam from Heartless invests a huge amount of his time and money into booking DIY shows in Pittsburgh, and over the last couple years, he has helped us with shows several times. I was always really into Heartless, so this past summer we just brought up the idea of doing a tour together, and it went from there. I wouldn't call this a headlining tour at all though, Heartless is an incredible band and we are both going to be supporting the releases of our first LPs.

OG-How does the song writing process usually go with you guys, as there seems to be a lot that goes into a song until the entire band is fully?

Dylan-Everyone in the band besides me lives in Ocean City, MD. They hang out almost every day to practice and write. The band is a borderline obsession for all of us, so I'm pretty sure it's just about all any of us think about. They compose and demo the song and email it to me. From there, I write the lyrics and demo it again on my laptop and send it back. It's actually a pretty quick and smooth process.

OG-While on tour, bands always seem to have an eclectic amount of music that they listen to in the van from venue to venue, what music could we possibly hear coming from your van?

Dylan-A lot of shitty electronic pop music.

OG-After the tour, do you have any plans on new material?

Dylan-We have a lot of plans. So many in fact, that our releases for 2012 are already all planned out and being recorded next week. Hopefully we'll start announcing our collaborations soon.

OG-Any things you would like to add?

Dylan-Check out Dave Bland, a real mother fucker living on the edge.

Thank you for the interview! you can check Full Of Hell out with links below

http://www.facebook.com/fullofhell
http://www.stereokiller.com/fullofhell

Bandcamp Artist of the Week: Stresscase

R-R-R-R-RAGING HARDCORE! Hailing from Los Angeles comes Stresscase, a 4-piece playing oldschool sounding hard-violence. Female vocals, great production, blasts and beatdown riffs to appeal to both the speed freaks and the mosh bros. Fans of Deathrats and Punch should definitely pay attention to this band, they have at least one release out so far in physical form, which I want very badly. Someone get at me and tell me how to get one! You can download their "Cut Me Off" EP for FREE here and like them on Facebook here.

~VII

Hordes-Abarognosis(Review)

Abarognosis is the debut EP from SoCal lads Hordes, released on King Of The Monsters Records. Hordes unrelenting breed of Powerviolence infused, dark, metallic hardcore bludgeons its way through ten punishing, to the point tracks. Roaring, bestial vocals are set over a backdrop of blast beats, menacing riffing, and punchy, simple breakdowns. The bass on this release is very audible, giving it a full sound, and leaving very little room to breathe. The guitar work seamlessly rips through searing PV parts, but isn’t afraid to slow down and get sludgy when it needs to. The drumming is solid, and the vocals sit somewhere between yelling and growling. This is the type of music that gets me pissed and ready start a warzone in the pit. If you’re a fan of Hardcore, Powerviolence, or Sludge metal this would be worth giving a listen, and is available to stream on their Bandcamp, or on ToxicBreedsFunhouse. I thoroughly enjoyed the misanthropic soundscape of this album, and look forward to hearing more from Hordes in the future!

Rating:8.5/10
FFO-Nails, Full of Hell, Low Places

~Alex Beegle

Hatewaves-The Tombs

This 5" rager is a split release between two awesome labels, A389 and Regurgitated Semen Records. In just four short minutes, Hatewaves shows you just how pissed off they can get. Compromised of members of Pulling Teeth, I already had high hopes going into the first listen, and was not let down. Much faster and more aggressive than their metallic hardcore counterpart, Hatewaves cranks out 7 tracks of fast pissed off jams. Straight forward, raw vocals; nothing over the top but fits just perfectly. Surprisingly, even though most of the songs are under 30 seconds there are some awesome, driving (dare I say, catchy) riffs thrown into it and it works great to keep your head banging. I've heard that all the songs are about inside jokes among the members, so the lyrics are somewhat whimsical and not to be taken to seriously. The lyrics are even funny at times. For what it is I can dig it. There's an instrumental track (I'll let you listen and guess the riff) that I think could have been left out and replaced with something more fitting with the rest of the tracks. But all in all it's a solid second release. If you're looking for some pv influenced fast hardcore and don't mind the running time of a 5", then pick this record up. Black vinyl, in a badass gatefold sleeve (yes, a 5" gatefold), which I've only seen done by one other band (Cap Cas's "Dark Circle"). Buy it either through A389 (U.S.) or RSR (Euro).

Stream here
Rating: 7.5/10
FFO: Hummingbird of Death, Despise You
Best track: Pride

~Stanley Liszewski

Show Review:Night Fever, Double Negative, Unholy Thoughts

Night Fever
Double Negative -/-
Unholy Thoughts
July 4th, 2011
Kings Barcade, Raleigh, NC.


Fuck, this show really kicked ass. Every band was so good, and so fast and ferocious, and just great. I don’t think I've had that good of a time at hardcore show that was at a venue since November at the Berkley cafe for sorry state records fest. That was awesome. But I think I’ve been a little bit spoiled, because I've been to so many local shows at the Kent house, and when you go to shows their, that’s the real shit. To me, going to a show their is what hardcore is all about. It’s DIY as fuck if you think about it. But Kings Barcade has been putting on some really great shows lately, and are having more in the near future including Fuck The Facts, RBT, and Snake Baptist on July 23rd, I feel like someone’s just not going to make it out alive out of that show. Anyways, too the events that transpired at the show.

Originally, Slugz were supposed to play first, but for some reason they had to drop off the bill, not too sure why. So, Richmond hardcore band, Unholy Thoughts, played first. I really liked these guys, there was something about them, they had a very nasty sound to them, like a very ugly, hopeless, deranged kind of sound, I really fucking like that in hardcore bands. I feel like they take influences from both fastcore and a little bit of youth crew sound as well. They had a great mix of super fast circle pit parts, and a good mix of mid paced part if you felt like stomping around. They were just straight to the point. Unfortunately when they played, people were still kind of getting their, and whenever it’s the first band playing, the crowd is always a little reluctant to start moshing or moving right away. But the singer of Unholy Thoughts was not going to have that bullshit. After one of the songs, he was mumbling into the mic “This is a hardcore show..” implying to us to start moving. So once the band started playing the song, he got off stage onto the floor, and stood in the middle, and what do you know? People started moving. There was this one guy in the crowd that kept jumping on random people, just thought I’d throw that in there because it was funny, and he jumped on my friend which was awesome. After Unholy Thoughts finished I was pretty blown away, but that was just the beginning of my night. I really wish Unholy Thoughts had been selling some demo’s or something, because I really liked them, I did manage to buy a shirt from them for 8$. I definitely recommend checking this band out.

Double Negative was up next. Man were they on point! The new drummer they have is so good, he can really rip. And each band member just seemed super energetic. Double Negative have done a fair amount of touring lately, but you could tell that they were home that night. They Played a mix of songs, they played Beg to a vile nude, which was awesome as always. Everyone in the crowd was into it, and it was just a complete good time. I got a fair amount moshing in for their set, to make up for the lack of moshing I should have been doing to Unholy thoughts. It was super fun. We even had some stage divers during Double Negative’s set. Probably one of the best times I’ve seen Double Negative.
After their set, I wasn’t sure if it could get much more awesome than that. I was very mistaken. But before Night Fever came on, I got an awesome Double Negative shirt, and got two sweet stickers for free.

Finally, the band of the night was here. Denmark’s finest, NIGHT FEVER! Their name makes me think of an old 80’s metal band or something, but they absolutely shred. They’re so awesome, they have really sweet riffs, and lots of parts to sing a long to. And the singer’s voice is amazing! I had listened to them a little bit before the show, and I envisioned the singer to be some small little skinny guy, because his voice is so high pitched, but he’s actually not very small, and when he talks his voice sounds pretty deep. For someone who had not listened to them before hand, they’d be very thrown off. After Double Negative, I wasn’t sure how much energy the crowd was going to have left, but they definitely shocked me. Right when Night Fever started ripping, the crowd went crazier then ever, everyone was jumping on top of the other, shoving groups of people back and forth. I love moshing and thrashing and all that shit, but I was too tired. So I just enjoyed Night Fever from the side, and watched the carnage take place. The singer might have been the most energetic singer of the night. I really like a lot of jumping around from the members to take place on stage, and that singer was just leaping from one side of the stage to the other. His voice was so powerful, it was absolutely great! The singer kept asking for more volume in the monitors, which I’m glad he did because his voice started sounding heavier and packing more of a punch. I mean I really think that singer makes that band, and I like how the guitarist incorporates a little bit of melody in the songs, but still manages to keep it shredding. When they ended there set, everyone in the crowd yelled “One more song!” I could tell that the singer was completely exhausted, but they didn’t take their stuff off or turn anything off, and went right into playing a song. Not only did they play one more song, but THREE. They completed the destruction that took place that night.

All in all it was a great show, and shows like these show me why the hardcore scene has continued to exist in Raleigh.

~Eli Thorp

Double Negative-Daydreamnation

Double Negative is one my favorite bands. They are one of Raleigh’s leading bands in the hardcore scene. Their sound is described as hardcore confusion. They have a unique sound for a hardcore band, but they still know how to stick to their 80’s hardcore punk roots. They’re unique in the way that they add a little bit of noise into it, which really adds to the intensity of it all. And let me tell you that this band is FAST and are quick to change things up, so be ready.

The first song Erase Yourself starts off with with loud pounding drums that invoke excitement, and you can’t help but want to push and or shove anyone or anything around you. It even has an awesome noisy guitar solo. This song starts the album off at 100 mph. In Patient Out is super noisy, and stays at a constant fast speed. If you listen to the guitarist it almost sounds like he’s improvising at some points, but it works out very well, and that’s what keeps it exciting. Once again provoking you to push/shove something around you.

The album doesn’t get slow at all until you reach the song Endless Disappointment. But don’t get me wrong, this song still kicks ass. It’s at more of a mid pace, but it has one of the catchiest chorus’s ever. One of those chorus’s that you’ll learn the lyrics to, so you can go to the show and be able to get in the singers face and sing along. Trust me, it feels pretty awesome.

The songs continue to flow by, and although some of the songs might seem to blend together, Double negative has this sound that is so abrasive that you don’t really mind it. And they have such a fun but still kind of angry pissed off “fuck you” kind of sound. Towards the end we get to a song that sticks out the most on the album. It’s called Beg To a Vile Nude. Unlike most of the other songs on the album, this song is pure noisy sludge with a nice hints of blues. I mean, they’re from Raleigh, North Carolina, they gotta have atleast one sludge song. But just like the rest of the songs, it changes quick, and goes to an awesome riff and back to the fast pounding drums. Finally we get towards the end of the album to my favorite song Side Three. This song is incredibly fast, but manages to keep a really sick groove. The main riff in this song is just so awesome. It’s just absolute fun, care free chaos, but it’s performed at a certain precision by these guys that is just so awesome, and I really don’t think Many bands would ever be able to copy them.

This band is really special to me because they were the first local hardcore band I ever saw. It was at hopscotch music festival, and they were opening for Fucked Up, and I’d never heard anything about them. So I asked some people who they were, and they looked at me like I was crazy, and they told me Double Negative. This band opened me up to the hardcore scene that is around me in Raleigh. Without this band I really wouldn’t have had some of the great experiences I’ve had at the local shows I’ve been to. And just sayin.. if you ever get the chance to see Double Negative at the kent house(a house in raleigh that holds basement shows) then go to it, it’s a totally different experience up close and personal. And check out other kent house shows, they’re pretty rare now, but some great bands have played there such as D.O.C., Coke Bust, Old Painless(saw them for the first time at kent, never seen a more angry pit in my life), Priapus, Burma, Stripmines, Devour, Secret Police, Hellbear, Street Pizza, etc.

~Eli Thorp

Gem Grinder: Metallic Hardcore Before It Was Cool

HELLO FIENDS. Mike Infected, reporting for duty. I come to bring you gems of deadly grinding hardcore supremacy. The purpose of this segment is to bring to light a lot of stuff I think grindheads might miss or over look because of all the hyped modern stuff. There's a lot of stuff out there to be heard! This month I will be focusing on grinding metallic hardcore from the late 90's. I was just a wee tot during most of the 90's but I acknowledge that a lot of whats going on in hardcore these days is all just rehashed stuff from the 80's and 90's, Nothings fresh, Pay homage kids! The bands I'm gonna showcase today are Acrid, Unruh, and Rorschach...


I was introduced to Unruh through the comp 'Cry Now Cry Later'... They were a sick moody, metallic, grinding, hardcore band from Arizona. To me they perfectly mix hardcore, death metal, and 'emo violence.' They chug, they blast, they drone out a little, they were doing this long before it ever became trendy to do so! These guys set the bar (and unfortunately most people didn't reach up to it, look at the pathetic excuses for 'deathcore' we have these days...) This is truly raw, pissed, misanthropic shit, don't miss out on it!

Suggested album: MISERY STRENGTHENED FAITH. (released on the King Of The Monsters label in 1997)

Acrid, stylistically is very similar to Unruh, they were from Canada (if I'm not mistaken). They were just a bunch of hardcore kids playing the music they wanted to hear. They are bit more on the sludgey side but they definitely bring the same kind of vibe. No frills, scathing, metallic hardcore, just raw drug free anger, hatred, and misanthropy!

Suggested Album: Eighty Sixed (released on No Idea Records on Vinyl in 1997)


Rorschach are from New Jersey, and they are arguably the fore fathers of chaotic metallic grinding hardcore. Having power violence, metalcore, and screamo fans laying claim to them being 'theirs.' These guys are definitely NOT something to miss out on. They've been doing the metallic, moody, grindy, hardcore thing since 1989, and they certainly do it right. Mixing schizophrenic wails, with dizzying, churning, riffs, with blasts, chugs and chord progressions that were unheard of at the time. Being influenced by everything from Rites of Spring, to Slayer, to Rudimentary Peni,you know this is stuff to hear. These guys paved the way for bands like Converge, Dystopia, and a lot of the more mathy hardcore bands to follow.

Suggested Album: Protestant (released by Wardence/Gern Blandstend in 1993)

Fans of Dystopia, Weekend Nachos, Converge, New Lows, Sea of Deprivation, Noothgrush, and any kind of metallic hardcore should check all these bands out!

~Mike Infected

Weekend Nachos-Worthless(Relapse)

"Hometown Hero" is such a great opener for Weekend Nachos' third full length Worthless. It captures everything that is great about Weekend Nachos, their catchiness, their awesome groove parts, and their harsh vocals. After "Hometown Hero" the greatness continues with songs like "Obituary", "For Life", and "Black Earth", but starting with "The Meeting" things start to slow down. At the end of "The Meeting" some feedback comes in and things take a turn for the worse. The feedback then turns into the song "Worthless". I really don't get the point of "Worthless", don't get me wrong I love it when grind/powerviolence bands such as Robocop, ANb, The Endless Blockade, and Noisear do noise tracks, but it really doesn't fit in well with Weekend Nachos. I also think if a band does a noise track it should have some variety, unlike "Worthless" which is pretty much just straight feedback until the end of the song. After "Worthless" ends, the intensity of Weekend Nachos comes back. In the song "Jock Powerviolence" there is even some clean singing, and I actually(unlike many others) like it and think it is a cool variation from Weekend Nachos' normal sound. The last song "Future" comes in at seven minutes long, and to be honest it's pretty boring . I really don't understand why Weekend Nachos put a seven minute song that is basically just the same riff over and over on Worthless.

Overall, I think Worthless is a pretty good album, but I do think it would be way better without the slower songs. All the songs on Worthless( with the exception of "Worthless" and "Future") are really great and memorable, and I dig Weekend Nachos' unique blend of powerviolence, grindcore, and hardcore.

I give Worthless a 7.5 out of 10.

Weekend Nachos: Bandcamp, Blogspot, Facebook, Merch

~Andrew Lipscomb

Coke Bust-Degradation E.P.

Coke Bust are a great hardcore band from Washington, D.C. I discovered them after hearing that Chris Moore from Magrudergrind is their drummer. I love Chris' drumming so I decided to buy "Degradation" and I can honestly say that I wasn't disappointed. With six songs coming in at 5 minutes this is a great introduction to Coke Bust, and "Degradation" leaves me wanting more. The first track starts off with some feedback, but then the blastbeats burst in and the song comes in at full force. "Degradation" continues at this lightning fast paced, powerviolence influenced hardcore sound until the slowed down, "Deathbed". My only complaint about this e.p. is that it is very short and seems to end just as it starts. Overall, I really like "Degradation" and I can't wait to hear more from Coke Bust.

My copy came on black vinyl and included a download card. I also really love the packaging of this 7" and I think that the lyrics are presented in a great way.
Coke Bust:Official Website, Myspace, Facebook

~Andrew Lipscomb

Hiroshima Vacation-Demo

Hiroshima Vacation is a hardcore, grindcore, powerviolence, or whatever you want to call it, band from Ithaca, New York. The current members of the band are two brothers, Tenor and VII Caso, VII also has a great YouTube channel that you should check out here. Now back to the music, this demo straight up rocks, how could it not with a song called "Bashin' Emo Kids"? This is one of the best bands I have heard in a long time! The music just doesn't let up, as soon as you hear the first song you know this is going to be an awesome demo! To be honest I was really surprised at the quality of this demo, from the great riffs, sweet vocals, unrelenting drumming, to just how catchy this album is. This album also has great production that manages to sound clear and filthy at the same time, which really suites the music. This band demands attention and I can definitely see HV becoming one of the next great hardcore, grindcore, powerviolence bands in the future. To Live A Lie Records should definitely check these guys out. Some of my favorite songs on the demo are "I Hate Everyone"(which is probably the most hardcore influenced song on the demo), "Take Away Their Power", and "Destroyed".

~Andrew Lipscomb

You can download Hiroshima Vacation's demo for free here.