New Music: Noisear, Sidetracked, Gas Chamber, Suffering Mind

Let's all give a nice, welcoming slow-clap to Jay and the Sidetracked crew for finally climbing on the Facebook train and getting a real internet presence. Although I was one of those people that would routinely check up on the actual Sidetracked Blogspot. It would only get updated like, twice a year. But when Jay give's updates, he gives you more then could ever think you'd want. Like hyping 10 in-progress records at once. Sidetracked's virgin posts on the 'Book are several new tracks from a few tent-pole inducing releases. Some stuff that's apparently been in the works for years. As usual, Jay gives us only the littlest taste of what these record's have in store for us. What we've been given so far of the "Escape" EP, a CD release which I believe Jay is releasing himself,  is literally only 12 seconds of music. Between two songs. A much rawer recording, reminiscent of the "Wrench" tape, which I dig a lot. The track "Unanswered" has a nice hardcore punk-era Beastie Boys riff. Next to that is a teaser for the stupidly anticipated split 7" with neo-legends, To The Point. This track, "Manipulate" is a much more standard-sounding powerviolence number. Fleshed out with rapid snare rolls and crusty grind riffs. Now with this genre of music, fastcore, it's pretty hard to get the impact of Sidetracked from just a few seconds. But honestly, if you haven't already heard Sidetracked and know what to expect, you should do your homework and listen to "Uniform" and their split with In Disgust asap!. Of course this is only the beginning for Sidetracked in 2015. If you take a look at the sidebar on their Bandcamp page, they've barely even scratched the surface of what they have planned. A new LP on To Live A Lie Records and splits with God's America and Limbs Bin are also in the works. Please give the boys a like HERE . 

Discordant grind nuts Noisear are right at the beginning of having an incredible year with a triple stack of new records for 2015. Recently reuniting with founding vocalist Alex Lucero and bassist Joe Tapia, and are in the middle of working on a brand new full length album! And have seemingly finished recording for a split 7" with the mighty Lycanthrophy, which will be released on Bloody Scythe Records. A nice pairing seeing as both bands will be gracing the stages of the annual Maryland Deathfest this year. And if there's a band that can keep up with Bryan Fajardo's drumkit abuse, it's Lycanthrophy. The new track we have here today, "Face First Into Concrete", comes from said split, and it brings that Noisear magic that they've honed to perfection. The wonderful production that they captured on "Subvert The Dominant Paradigm" is recaptured here, in my opinion. Dorian Rainwater's signature guitar skronking is bright and technically flawless, and of course Mr. Fajardo effortlessly lays waste to his drumkit. No word yet on when they Lycanthophy split or the as-of-yet untitled LP will be released. The fabled 3x7" boxest split with The Kill and Antigama is supposed to come out this year too. Very VERY excited to get my hands on that. You can (hopefully) thank Haunted Hotel Records for that beautiful piece of wax. That split was also released on CD by Selfmadegod Records. Listen to the track HERE !

And last but certainly not least we have the triumphant news of a new Gas Chamber EP, and the jaw dropping anthem, "Always Coming Home", to stream in anticipation. A new 7" entitled "Stained Hand", which will be released on SPHC Records. A label I certainly trust to deliver some of highest quality records of hardcore and grinds noisier and weirder side. Proceeding their incredible LP, "Hemorrhaging Light", released on Iron Lung Records last year, "Stained Hand" already has me amazed and feeling feelings I haven't felt about hardcore in a long time. "Always Coming Home" is a near five minute composition of pure brilliance. Opening with Gas Chamber's instrumental body in full jam mode, performing a gorgeous instrumental passage. With some very uplifting and beautiful interplay between the guitar and Patrick Bolger's bass wizardry. Slamming into a driving and powerful d-beat driven second half of more familiar hardcore song structure, and ending in complete satisfying victory. One of the best pieces of music I've heard all year, and definitely my favorite track Gas Chamber has created so far. Carrying the torch of such legendary bands like the Minutemen and Man Is The Bastard, Gas Chamber are the modern powerviolence and hardcore's titans of creative supremacy and integrity. If you haven't been converted yet, you might just be hopeless.

That time of the week to talk about new Suffering Mind songs (I swear do these guys ever sleep?). The split 7" with Milwaukee's shreddiest bass n'drums powerviolence band Lifes is very near it's release. So naturally two songs have been put up on Suffering Mind's end for streaming. "Subtle Manipulation" is a HEAVY short and fast number, that throws in some very nice crazy-man screams at the end. "Failed", the closer, is the real attention grabber. Certainly being one of the bands more, unusual creations. The standard grind fare trailblazes through the opening, and then rides an almost Jesus Lizard discordant note strum on top of some drum rhythm from Daro. It's a cool little left turn from SM, I like hearing the boys give some new tastes. That cover are is tripping me out too, and I love it. Great looking abstract textures. Anyone know who did this? This split will be released on SM's US home Halo Of Flies and Now Records.

~VII

Noisear/Antigama/The Kill 3-Way Split Cover Art Revealed!

Remember how this split was occasionally mentioned in interviews throughout the 2012 and this year? But with updates so few and far between, it sometimes gets forgotten? Well, here's another whooping update that waked my ass up and got me to remember about this epic grind combo! Check out this awesome cover art!

Pretty cool stuff right? I dig it heavily, and I'm positive the grind madness underneath it is sure to be as explosive and detailed. The Kill, who have been (no pun intended) killing it this year with a slew of awesome splits and records (including ones with Mortalized and The Communion), Antigama are already hot off the heals of killer new record, "Meteor", and the grind spazzouts that we can expect from Noisear. Definitely put this on my "Most Anticipated Of The Year" list.

~VII

Noisear - "Turbulent Resurgence" Review

I’d been waiting to do this until I got the vinyl, but since I found out that it’s been delayed by about three months, I figured I’d go ahead with this review now. Better late than never, right?
Coming a year and a half after one of my favorite grindcore albums of 2011 (as well as one of my all-time favorites), Noisear are back with a full-length of tight, technical, grinding ragers. Press releases say that "Turbulent Resurgence" was written in one day and recorded in the span of 48 hours, which should come as no surprise to anyone who looked in the liner notes for "Subvert the Dominant Paradigm" and saw the note about “All decompositions written and recorded June 25th 2010” (which continually blows my mind). Drummer Bryan Fajardo and guitarist Dorian Rainwater have been playing in bands together for so long that they can write albums in a day and with this set of 23 songs in 18 minutes there is no room for over-thinking. Each song comes bursting out of the gate fully formed, nearly all of them having no sort of song intro, leaving not a second to waste. The songs range from 25 to 67 seconds and with only three songs over a minute (two of them being noise tracks contributed by Winters in Osaka) Noisear have possibly written the most bullshit-free album of 2012. Winters in Osaka wrote the intro, interlude, and outro tracks, which are the only times this album lets you take a breath; without these the album would be 16 minutes flat, half the length of the new Pig Destroyer album.
Noisear has changed their lineup this time around, losing their dedicated vocalist and bassist, lending to a different mood that is still distinctly “Noisear,” and in fact sounds a lot like their early material (but with a much tighter recording and playing quality). Dorian handles all bass work on the album, but it is pretty low in the mix. "Subvert.." was my introduction to Noisear and I immediately loved the rumbling bass brought by the insanely good Joe Tapia. While I am a bit disappointed he isn’t on their new album (first time in a long time), Noisear on "Turbulent Resurgence" do not sound like they’re missing anything. Whereas "Subvert..." has what many people like to call a “jazz fusion” element to it (meaning frequent tempo changes and bizarre chord shapes), Resurgence is about as “pure” grindcore as it can be while still being dynamic and interesting. Noisear are in full-blast mode on here, with no guitar solos and very few breakdowns (if you insist on calling the slower end part of a song a breakdown), and while twenty minutes of blast beats would get boring or overwhelming for most grindcore bands that’s simply because they don’t have Bryan Fajardo behind the kit. Fajardo is without a doubt one of the best drummers in grindcore because unlike so many million-mile-an-hour blasters he utilizes his kit to the fullest extent, playing snare and tom rolls within the beats, constantly changing what the beat is. Look to his other bands (Kill the Client, Gridlink, Phobia, and most recently P.L.F.) if you need any convincing of his talents.
Having listened to this album several dozen times at work since its release, I can safely say that it is one of the best grindcore albums of 2012, if only because of the repeat plays it demands. It’s much less of a mind-fuck as their previous album, but the songs are just as short and catchy as before, and once you start playing one song it’s easy to just let the album finish. Some of my favorite tracks are “Indifference,” “Educate Hatred,” “Born Alone, Die Alone,” “Less Fashi   on, More Thrashin’,” and “Fiery Rebirth.”


Rating: 8.5/10

~Dylan

New Music Alert: New Jams From Noisear and Sex Prisoner

The fall season is almost upon us, and that means tons and tons of awesome new albums, EP's, and splits are rearing to get released. Besides counting down the days until the new Pig Destroyer album us dropped, a couple of my most anticipated upcoming releases are the new Noisear record, "Turbulent Resurgence", and the 3-way split between ACxDC, Magnum Force and Sex Prisoner. And it just so happens that both the latter of the three and Noisear have new tracks streaming! Noisear have 2 new tracks, showcasing their familiar ripping, techy/spastic grindcore that fans should already know and love. The new album (apparently written and recorded all in the span of 3 days) will feature 22 tracks with noise from Winters of Osaka throughout. You can pre-order it now through Willowtip and Deep Six.
On the flip side, Sex Prisoner have one new track streaming right now, and it's a basic and brutal powerviolence assault. Crossed Out worship in full effect, this track keeps the heavy beat-down assault, but keeps an even balance of fast and mid-tempo. So fucking stoked. The ACxDC/Magnum Force/Sex Prisoner 3-way split will be released by To Live A Lie records. It will be one of the last records the label will produce before the year long hiatus. No word yet on when it will be released.

~VII

Interview WIth Sebastian Rokicki (Antigama)

It's with great pleasure and an honer to bring you this exclusive interview with Sebastian Rokicki, the guitarist for one of my favorite grindcore bands, Antigama. We talk about the new line-up, what has been happening with Antigama the past couple years, and their excellent, new EP, "Stop The Chaos"(available now from Selfmadegod Records). This interview was conducted over email.

Operation Grindcore: It's been a few years since there's been any new Antigama material, and it appears that a lot has happened in the band since 2009. Can you give a brief run down of what happened after the release of "Warning"?

Sebastian Rokicki: Well... we went on European tour with Fuck The Facts and Dr.Doom after 'Warning' was released; then in May 2009 we came to the US for shows with Complete Failure. Later that year and a through the half of 2010 we took part in a few dramas as a live soundtrack band and played in theatres in Poland. It was completely different experience but very important for us as a band. In the beginning of 2011 we recorded the material for a split CD with Psychofagist from Italy. Everything was going great when the bad news came. Lucas' daughter was diagnosed with leukemia... We'd spent that hard time supporting our friend until his daughter got better. The year has passed and we have a new minialbum recorded. We're back.

OG: The band has gone through some very heavy line-up changes, including the departure of your long time drummer, Krzysztof Bentkowski. Why did he leave the band?

Sebastian: He did not leave the band. I asked him to leave. Krzysiek is a very good and original drummer but a very tough partner in the band. After 11 years of playing together his conditions were unacceptable. 

OG: How did your new drummer, Pawel Jaroszewicz, join the band? I'm sure his impressive resume of bands he's been in was a big deciding factor. 

Sebastian: Pawel and Antigama happened to rehearse in the same building. To be honest, it came pretty naturally. I asked him if he would be interested and he was. And his experience in a band like Vader is a very positive factor for us.

OG: This year also sees the recorded return of founding vocalist, Lukas! Something that I'm very excited about. How did he get back into the band?

Sebastian: Thanks! Lucas is a monster on vocals. I love the way he does all the stuff and I'm very happy he's in the band again. All that time he had been very close to us but just busy with lots of things. He's been back in the band since 2010 to be precise...

Operation Grindcore Exclusive: Noisear - "Nada"

We have a very special treat for you all today, ladies and gentlemen. Operation Grindcore is very proud to present a brand new Noisear track, which will not be featured on any future release. This track, entitled "Nada", was recorded in late December of last year in the recording session for The Kill/Antigama, and Department of Correction splits. It's a noisey, chaotic, and blazingly fast little grind ditty. Very very good stuff. The Noisear/Department of Correction split will be released in May by Power It Up Records, still no word on when the 3-way split with The Kill and Antigama will be released. Hopefully really fucking soon! Thanks to Dorian Rainwater and Garry Brents for giving us this exclusive!

NOISEAR - NADA by OperationGrindcore

~VII

Noisear Sign To Willowtip Records!

Breaking news, and a huge congratulations to our homies in Noisear for signing to the "forward thinking metal" label Willowtip Records. Willowtip might seem like more of a tech/death metal label, but they've been welcoming to many grind bands in their existence. Most recently and notably, fellow tech-grind(and sadly defunct) bands Defeatist and Maruta. No word yet on what exactly Noisear will be releasing through Willowtip, but I'm guessing it's that EP that they've been talking about. Congratulations again!

~VII

Listen To A New Noisear Song!!

What could be better than a new song from Noisear? How about the added bonus's that said song will be featured on an upcoming 3-way split with Antigama(!) and The Kill which will be released on Haunted Hotel and Selfmadegod Records, AND it features Mitchell Luna from Maruta on vocals. Pretty fucking sick right? I personally can't wait for this split, and the few other new Noisear albums/EPs to come out. Listen to the song, entitled "Endless Reincarnation" on their Facebook page here.

~VII

New Noisear Video "Ignorance Is Bliss"

Noisear just premiered the video for their track Ignorance Is Bliss from Subvert the Dominant Paradigm over at Metal Injection. This is one of my favorite songs from the album, and it's a pretty cool video.

~Andrew Lipscomb

Dorian Rainwater (Noisear) Interview

Noisear are gonna be hot shit in the American grindcore scene real soon, I'm calling it right now! Hailing from New Mexico, their technical, discordancy, mind-fuck grind is both heavy and cerebral. In a nutshell, they make good grind. So good that Relapse Records snatched them up and released their latest full-length "Subvert the Dominant Paradigm", and it sounds like we'll be getting another one real soon. This interview was conducted over email with guitarist Dorian Rainwater. VII: First off, congratulations on Noisear's signing to Relapse Records! How has that relationship been going?


Dorian: Thank you! Relapse is a great label. They help us with promotion, merch and even some booking. They have a large crew of hard working individuals who are also very friendly and down to earth. They back all their bands 100% and are like family.

VII: Noisear have been grinding since the late 90's, how do you think the band has changed over the years?

Dorian: Like any band over ten years old we have had ups and downs through the years, but one thing we have always maintained is our mutual obsession for creating grind!
VII: Noisear are definitely not your standard sounding grindcore band, where do your influences come from when it comes to writing music?

Dorian: Too many to name, haha. Napalm Death, Terrorizer, Assuck, Discordance Axis, Human Remains, Lethargy, 324 and many others.
VII: Getting to your latest album, "Subvert The Dominant Paradigm". How do you think this album differs from your previous releases, if at all?

Dorian: "Subvert" is a multitude of different styles for us being that we mixed alot of different styles,speeds and arrangements we have not done on prior releases.
VII: I read somewhere that all the songs on "Subvert..." were written in a day. Is that true?

Dorian: Yes its true. We had 4 songs written and wrote 25 in the studio. Technically it was 2 days because the vocals were layed down the next day.
VII: Now that stuttering/staccato break in the song "Global Warming", that's total Human Remains worship, right?

Dorian: Those are volume swells, and yeah we love Human Remains to no end.

VII: I also heard that you guys are already writing songs for another full length?

Dorian: We recorded 20 songs with our original guitarist Thomas Romero last weekend. We also added Dalton Tuerck on vocals. Dalton also wrote guitars on a few songs. We are very stoked about the album and can't wait for everyone to hear it!
VII: Your drummer Bryan Fajardo has become a powerhouse in the American grindcore scene, playing with everyone from Kill the Client to Phobia. With all the bands he's involved with is it sometimes difficult to get together and concentrate on Noisear?

Dorian: No not at all. We live in the same city, KTC jams in the same room at the rehearsal studio and I do studio guitars with Phobia so its all pretty relative.

VII: I haven't heard much about the New Mexico scene. Is there a grind scene where you're from?

Dorian: Bryan and I live in Dallas (Texas) now. From what I hear there is a lot more death metal than grind in NM now.
VII: What bands/albums are you currently enjoying?

Dorian: Gride, Libertarian, Psudoku, Dislike(Croatia), Lycanthropy, Hatred Surge, Mindless, Lie Still, Antigama, The Kill, Sulaco, Rotten Sound, Shitstorm, Lack of Interest, Weekend Nachos, Magrudergrind, Shit Life, Cogs and Sprockets and a ton of others that would probably fill this whole page ha!
VII: Any final words?

Dorian: Thanks for the interview! Less fa$cion more thrashin!!

My Favorite Albums of 2011(so far)

1.KEN Mode-Venerable(Profound Lore)
When I first got this album I wasn't really into it. Then a few days later I picked it up again and gave it another shot and began to love it. This album is definitely a grower and after hearing Venerable I am stoked to hear more from them.






2.Victims-A Dissident(Tankcrimes/Deathwish Inc.)
I hadn't ever heard Victims before this album, but they were always on my "Bands To Check Out" list. So when I saw that they released their album on Tankcrimes/Deathwish Inc. I knew I had to get it. This album is some great Hardcore/Crust and once again this album is a grower.








3.Robocop-Robocop II(Grindcore Karaoke/Name Like His Master)
Man, this album is great. It's sick powerviolence with some awesome sludge/noise parts mixed in. It is a perfect balance of powerviolence/noise, think of The Endless Blockade.








4.Noisear-Subvert the Dominant Paradigm (Relapse) This is another great grindcore album, which features Bryan Fajardo, who also plays drums in Gridlink and Kill the Client. This album sort of reminds me of Discordance Axis and Brutal Truth mixed, which is definitely a good thing! Another great thing about this album is the twenty minute noise track by J. Randall(Agoraphobic Nosebleed) called Noisearuption.



5.Mitochondrion-Parasignosis(Profound Lore)
This is a very good ambient death metal album. Mitochondrion sort of remind me of Portal but a little more straight forward. This album is best experienced while listening to it in headphones. It's one of those albums that just takes you to another place and I can't help but get lost in this album.

~Andrew Lipscomb