Shooting Spree/TADROAEV - Split 7" (2015) Review

It always happens every year. A record will come along that I missed that kicks almost every top record of that year into the dirt! Happened this year too, after I finally managed to snag the Shooting Spree/TADROAEV split 7" released by Mullet Death Records in 2015. I bought it initially for the Shooting Spree side, since they're basically one of the best bands in Canada right now. But I was more then pleasantly surprised when I played TADROAEV's half. In fact, I was blown away. This is a fucked up split. Shooting Spree and TADROAEV (These Are Da' Results Of A'Thousand Electric Volts) have recorded some of the nastiest and most savage grindcore that was put on wax in 2015. Here's the kicker, I think this was supposed to come out in 2012 or 2013. This masterpiece was kept at bay for 3+ years. Well the wait was worth it.

 TADROAEV have actually won me over through and through with their perfect half. They're actually the side I play the most (and I play it a loooot). This is real deal, no bullshit chaos. Exactly the way I like my grindcore these days. The songs are a blur of unpredictable song twists, massive beefy tones (I think there's like 4 guitar tracks on here), and an unhinged amount of aggression. It's a perfect blend of bands like D.O.C., The Afternoon Gentlemen, Arsedestroyer, and Opstand. And it's fucking heavy!! These tracks get me so fired up, every time it ends I'm just awestruck. I have not been able to find any more recordings from these guys, and I believe they're broken up now. If any other records exist I want them. They even beat out Shooting Spree in claiming the superior side! No diss to Shooting Spree's contribution though, since it is perfect as well. Which comes as no surprise, I've loved every single recording I've heard from them prior. Crazy, fucked up and technical grindcore with a lot of deathy influence. Sudden snare hits, stops, vocal trading, I love it. Also, everything must sound like it's recorded on a boom box, no exception. I love these lo-fi recording's, they always make certain things more present in the mix. Like the "pang" sound of a snare hit, or a beefy guitar tone. Shooting Spree always have the sound of a great demo tape that survived being in your attic for years. It's seriously reinvigorating to hear grindcore written and performed this good. This split has become one of my new favorites for sure.

Everyone should thank Mullet Death Records for bringing this record into the world by spending your money at his store and buying it.

Listen to this: HERE!

~VII

Parfumerie - "Transmundane and Unprofessional Delocation of Superfluous Extremities and Rare Tissues E​.​P." Review

Though I rarely get around to posting about it on the site, I do have a very big soft spot in my heart for goregrind. It's hard to find a genre as ridiculous, gimmicky, or just plain fun as this one in extreme music. Trouble is, it's hard for a goreginrd band to impress me enough to warrant posting, outside of Phyllomedusa. But a few weeks ago some live videos of this band Parfumerie caught my eye and I was blow away by their energy, catchy songs and stage presence. I've been looking for recordings ever since and it appears that yesterday a whole EP was posted! Parfumerie is actually a trio featuring Joe (on bass and vocals) and Dan (on drums) of Archagathus, and they lend their great, catchy song craft heavily into this project. "Transmundane and Unprofessional Delocation of Superfluous Extremities and Rare Tissues" is an instantly enjoyable goregrind record, right from the thick beefy, Coffins-ish instrumental intro song, "Venereal Excavation", with some great grooving, chugs and some great trembelo picked riffs. That leads right into the blaster track "Upheaval Of Partially Digested Innards". Each track is a perfect little piece of goregrind compositioning. Great, memorable riffs and song writing bits like the evolving groove of the end riff on the closing track, "Deranged Menarche Injection -//- Regurgitate",  show to me that the same care and attention was given to this band as it was to the guys other main projects. Not to mention, this thing sounds fantastic. The guitars and bass are crazy thick and punchy, and dan gives a great drum performance with tons of kick/snare blasting (just think Regurgitate's "Carnivorous Erection"). This was a great first release from this project, definitely something I can see any gorehound drooling over. Can't wait for more in the future.

Rating: 9/10

~VII

RIP Obacha

One last endless bummer for 2013, or maybe technically the first one for 2014. Either way, it's a doosy of a loss. The mighty Obacha, Canadian fastcore masters, have decided to officially call it quits early January after two final shows, the last one being in their home turf of Squamish. If you've been paying super close attention to the Canadian scene's, you must have at some point had your brain balls blown by the steak-knife-hurricane fastcore that Obacha put on record.

(Obacha at Fastcore Fest 4)

Obacha (pronounced "ah-bah-cha") is I band I was introduced to a few years back with their 2010 demo tape. Back then then were a 4-piece, and the demo was an incredibly solid powerviolence release with some heavy Backslider influence. A style that they kept with their 2011 split 7" with Stillbirth. Constant riff and tempo-changing hardcore with tons of fun grooves fleshing everything out. Eventually, they lost a member in their drummer. Their vocalist, Graham, then moved to doing drums and vocals, and they progressed as a trio (see their first show with this line-up here). Obacha v.2 put out a disgustingly good demo tape in 2012, their heaviest, bassiest and most blown out recording ever, and one of my personal favorites. As they progressed as a trio, they became a bit of a different beast, maturing into much more of a spastic fastcore band a'la Dead Radical and xBrainiax. The songs got shorter, the songwriting more technical and inventive, and the resulting splits with Chetwrecker, Slave, and Fast Friends are some of the most frantic, and exhilarating fastcore recordings I've heard come out of Canada. 

If I was to ever make a list of my top Canadian bands, Obacha would definitely be near the top. Every release they put out has been incredible, and I hold on to the ones I have like precious gems. And if you have not heard this band, and are still reading this and have not yet been convinced of their awesomeness, let me play the role of the Convenience Fairy and put all of their jams down at the bottom. Learn up, better late then never!  

~VII

thedowngoing/Detroit Split Has Been Announced!

Again with the cool news right before I'm about to hit the hay. Mathias, the singer and guitar player for Australia's noisiest grinders thedowngoing, spread the word that a new track from an upcoming split 7" with Detroit was posted! Just when I  was starting to worry that we'd never see any new music from these guys again. The new track, "gazastrip", boasts a heavy, well produced recording, definitely their heaviest yet. Pulling back a little bit on the straight up spastic noisiness a little, particularly in the vocals, but it just goes to show that under all the chaos, thedowngoing really do have tons of great riffs. Killer track. 

I was very excited to hear that Detroit would be the split companions. I've always kept my eye on them, and their drummer Isaac even contributed to OG a few times. It's a neat little connection. These guys have also been crafting split 7"s with Skuff and Deadpreassure, most of which you can hear on their bandcamp. Great raw powerviolence in kinda the same vein as Vaccine, Despise You and In Disgust. Dig it.

The split with thedowngoing will be put out late 2013/early 2014 by Hash Crimes and Stoked Distro Records.

~VII

Interview With Bridgeburner

A huge thanks to Bryan, the vocalist for the supremely excellent Six Brew Bantha, for getting at me and submitting this interview he conducted with Bridgeburner, a seriously kick ass grinding powerviolence band from Kamloops. Any chance I can get to help support the Canadian scene, I take, so I hope you enjoy, and please check out Bridgeburner!

• Bryan: So first off, who all plays in Bridgeburner? Names, instruments and your favourite non-punk/metal band or artist.
  
  D: I'm David, guitars, Westside Connection.
  J: The names Jesse, drums, vocals, Motley Crue
  B: I'm Brian, I play bass, and all three of us do vocals. My favourite would probably have to be something classic rock oriented, ……its hard to pin one down

  Bryan: Where do you draw your influences from musically? Does one person do most of the writing or is it a collective effort? I've heard several people make stylistic comparisons between you guys and The Endless Blockade, how do you feel about that comparison?

  B: Our influences can be pretty broad at times, from sludgy stuff like GREIF and HAGGATHA, drone like SUNN, or modern PV/grind like OSK, SEA OF SHIT, MUDLARK, IRON LUNG, and DEFEATIST, and of course OG PV like MITB, INFEST, CROSSED OUT, and obviously (I suppose) THE ENDLESS BLOCKADE hahaha. I am personally stoked whenever I hear us being compared to them, as they are top 5 for me for sure. Whenever we write, it usually start as either Jesse or David bringing in a riff, or a couple of riffs and we just jam it, and move things around, slow it down, speed it up, or try to play it different ways until it sounds weird enough.
  D: We get together, talk about rad bands like OSK and COOKED AND EATEN, then just jam. The Endless Blockade rules.
  J: We draw our influences from the scene we're involved in and just get stoked and go grind. East Van and Squamish are always killing it! And yes….The Endless Blockade comparison is pretty cool too hahaha

  Bryan: How about lyrically? Who writes the lyrics, what do you guys sing about and is there anywhere/anyone in particular you draw lyrical inspiration from?

  B: We tend to get together and collaborate on the lyrics. Save for a couple of songs that we have brought to the table fully written. Our lyrics are usually inspired by day to day situations and things that we are interested in or that really piss us off.
  J: Maybe one of these days we'll break out of the habit of writing our lyrics right AFTER we record the instruments...

  Bryan: You guys are from a small town in interior BC, not really the kind of place one might expect to find bands playing this music. How did you discover grindcore/powerviolence/sludge/etc?

  B: Personally, I just kept searching for new and more exciting bands than the stuff I heard all the time, whether it be on the radio at work or mainstream metal bullshit. I started going to shows and found more and more bands that I was in to, and researched their influences.
  D: Living in an even smaller interior town, I found MUDLARK on the interwebs.
  J: From always being on the lookout for more violent, heavier, and faster music.

  Bryan: When and how did Bridgeburner form? What are some previous bands you've all played in and do you have any projects on the go aside from this one?

  B: Bridgeburner was formed in 2010. Jesse had written and recorded a bunch of songs, and asked me if I would be interested in playing them with him. We were at a show (I think) and asked David to play with us. And here we are…. I used to play in DYSPHORIA and JENKEM. I am currently in in a noise project with David called BVRMVDAN, and a grind band called WORST OF EARTH.
  D: I also play in HAND OF THE HORSEWITCH, HONOUR & DEVOUR, and MERV.
  J: I play drums in a death/grind band called BLOOD DRUNK and my most recent project FAMINE which is straight up crust along the lines of State Of Fear and Consume.

  Bryan: For those unaware, tell us a bit about Kamloops... how's the scene? Where and how frequently do shows happen? What local bands are you guys stoked on? Any bands you've had the opportunity to play with in town who stand out as particularly special for you?

  

  B: Kamloops is a small town in the interior of British Columbia. We currently have an amazingly vibrant scene for the size of our population. There are constantly shows at our local punk house, the Little Big House, as well as the occasional bar show. Local standouts would be SKUFF, SHITHAWK, DAMNED GRAVE, FTL, D//COMPOSE (RIP), and YOUNG OPPRESSION (RIP). Bridgeburner has had the honour of playing with MASS GRAVE, VILE INTENT, NAPALM RAID, WINTERS IN OSAKA, and so many others there.
  D: Little Big House rules, pretty much the only grind location here. We got to play with those SixBrewBantha guys once or twice there I think. All the bands from Squamish and Vancouver help keep this place alive.
  J: If it wasn't for LBH we wouldn't be where we're at right now. I could list hundreds of rad bands that i've seen in that basement. Mostly Skuff like 1000 times.

  Bryan: You recently completed your first tour out to Winnipeg's almighty Arsonfest, tell us about your experience on the road. Best shows, memorable bands you played with, crazy random shit that went down, etc.

  B: Yeah, we shared a bunch of dates with our friends in VIOLENT RESTITUTION. Arsonfest was an amazing experience, I am so grateful that we were asked to play this year. Tour was amazing, so many awesome people and bands. GOWL, MISANTHROPIC NOISE, SHOOTING SPREE, NORTHLESS, ARCHAGATHUS, VIOLENT GORGE, THE GREAT SABATINI, and every date the we saw VIOLENT RESTITUTION were standouts for me. We had a couple of nights where we camped with VR where crazy shit happened, like when I fell off of the front of the van straight to my back, hahaha. All in all, it was an amazing time, and I can't wait to get back out on the road!
  D: Arsonfest was at Negative Space this year, great venue. GOWL ripped me a new one. Brian got stoned once (while he was "sleeping"). Gas station fried chicken, the freshest. Played with GRIMACE in Saskatoon. Saw BURN COLLECTOR, PALE FACE, and VIOLENT RESTITUTION at a house in Edmonton. INTENTIONAL VEHICULAR MANSLAUGHTER killed it during an afternoon Arsonfest show, and so did the poutine.
  J: Arsonfest was so sick this year. Gowl was definitely my favourite performance that whole tour. Your an idiot if you bail on a chance to see them. Winnipeg also has the best poutine in Canada.

  Bryan: You guys have also made the journey to play the last three editions (and counting) of Squamish's now bi-annual blast extravaganza Fastcore Fest, discuss your experiences with this fest and what makes it special enough to be worth the long drive every six months.

  B: Fastcore Fest, is a definite highlight of the year for us. We love all of our crazy Squamish friends. If anyone gets the chance to play, or even just attend this fest, it is completely worth it. Camping in a beautiful setting, listening to rad bands, and partying with the coolest people, how could you get any better?
  D: Keep putting us on Fastcore! Brian somehow gets a nosebleed whenever we go there.
  J: We will always put time in our schedules to play fastcore every year. It's pretty much a fucking holiday to us!

  Bryan: What does Bridgeburner's discography look like so far? Your recordings sound deadly, where and how do you record? Where can the public go about acquiring copies of your releases?

  B: We have four releases to date, half of which are so DIY you are lucky if you have a physical copy hahaha. Our first release was a 3-way split tape with Squamish buddies SHOOTING SPREE, and HYPEREMESIS from Campbell River. After that we did a split with local party-rockers and good friends SHITHAWK. We have just released a split 12'' with Vancouver's AHNA, and a split tape with locals SKUFF. Everything is up for download and streaming on our Bandcamp site, and you can grab anything recent from us at any of our shows. All of our recordings so far have been done at the same place that we jam, the 'SlaughterHouse.'
  D: I live at the 'SlaughterHouse', which we've turned into a DIY studio. So far we've put out the Bridgeburner stuff, Honour & Devour tape, DAMNED GRAVE's new release.

  Bryan: Plans for the future? Upcoming shows, releases, tours?

  B: We have a couple of splits that we are writing for currently. Sometime next year we would love to tour the states.
  D: Play a bunch of local shows I imagine.
  J: Ask us to do splits with your band!

  Bryan. Where can we go online for information on what's happening with bridgeburner? How does one get in contact with you?

  B: We try to keep our Facebook up to date as much as we can, just search our name on there. We also have a Bandcamp (www.bridgeburner.bandcamp.com) with all of our releases on there. Our contact information is on both of those sites for anyone that wants to get in contact with us.

  Bryan: Any final thoughts you'd like to add?

  B: GRIND OVER MATTER

  
  

  ~Bryan

Skuff - "Demo 2012" Review

I'm seriously running out of new ways to say good things about Canada. Home of socialized health care, maple syrup, hockey, and more excellent grind and powerviolence bands than you can shake a stick at. A drum/bass powerviolence band from Canada, well that just seems like a flawless combination, does it not? That's where Skuff come in. This B.C. duo has been kicking around for a couple years, and released this 2012 demo tape earlier this summer. Nine tracks of catchy, groovy, lo-fi, gruff and rough violence. It's the type of stuff that I'm just instantly attracted too, and rarely find any faults with, and Skuff are no different. Sure, it's not original, not even a little bit, but who gives a shit? If it's not broken, don't fix it (or try to break it). The recording on the demo is totally lo-fi and blown out. The low-end from the bass just seeps over everything, but it never reaches the point of just being a distorted, unlistenable mess. The riffs are still present, and if the sound was cleaned up a bit, the dudes gnarly bass tone would shine through a bit more. I do wish the snare drum was a bit more present though, it doesn't cut through as much as I like in my powerviolence. Overall, it's a solid demo, and I'm looking forward to everything this band puts out in the future. They have a split tape with Bridgeburner coming out soon, which is also streaming on the bandcamp, and it's awesome stuff.

Rating: 7/10

~VII

Bandcamp Albums Of The Week: Obacha & Skuff - Demos 2012

Double post!  Seeing as Skuff and Obacha both have recently released 2012 demos, and are touring the west coast together next month, it was all too fitting.

Obacha are a band that knows how to do fastcore right. These guys have been consistently killing it for a few years now, but their 2012 demo is their first release as a 3 piece (drummer quit, singer became drummer/singer) and it is a very apparent step up. With the sound being a lot dirtier than their previous output, these 8 songs in 4 minutes are as fast and frantic as any PV fiend could want. The vocal duties are also shared a little more, which rules and totally works for these guys. As you can tell I have a huge boner for their new demo, but all their stuff is worth checking out(  here's their first demo, the only thing not on the bandcamp).
*Edit: I was totally off, Obacha were still a four peice for this demo. They're even faster now. Here's proof.

Skuff on the other hand are a drum and bass two piece, playing super, super catchy and greasy PV.  Seriously, listen to “Wasp Eyes” and try not getting that shit stuck in your head.  Sweet samples, no songs longer then 1:10, and the least shitty Skuff production yet, what more could you ask for?  This new demo is showing up everything they’ve done previously so hard, while still being the perfect amount of raw.  These guys are going to be on that all drum and bass six way split with the almighty Water Torture so keep your eyes open for that as well. 

Check out the tour dates here , and listen to these bands at full volume!

~Isaac

Six Brew Bantha - "S/T" Album Review

It's a beautiful thing when you hear a band really come into there own and break out from demo quality, low-fi, basement recordings and produce a record that stands heads ands shoulders above everything they've done prior. Not that there's anything wrong with having your music sound like it was recorded in someones smelly, dirty hole of a living space, but in Six Brew Bantha's case this new album absolutely facefucks everything they've done prior.
In the past, SBB always came off to me as more of a grimy mincecore band. Again, due to the recording quality and their rather silly band name (lets be real here). Their split with Archagathus from last year did display impressive grind chops though, and left me impressed, but not blown away. This new album however, truly shows what SBB are capable, which is more advanced than anything Agathocles, Archagathus or LT. Dan have/could produce, and shows that this Canadian trio can grind with the best of them. The album starts off very unassuming though, with some studio trickery used to make the recording sound very flat and, well, shitty. But after some fucking around, the band and production explodes into pure awesomeness, and it's all good from then on. The production on this album is just stellar. It's perfect, absolutely wonderful. The guitars are just beefy, especially when the palm muted riffs come into play. I honestly thought this band had a bass player until just a few days ago. The drummer too, holy fuck, this guy can blast. And that snare drum, hot damn. More grind bands need to learn to appreciate a poppy, clangy snare drum. The songs on here all seem well thought out and crafted too, and display a lot of fastcore traits like stop/start riffs and constant tempo changes (which is an easy way to my heart). Occasional grooves pop up, which is always welcome, but for the most part it's just straight blasting and unrelenting brutality. Overall, SBB really have created a great grind album, one of the best I've heard all year. Do yourself a favor and listen/buy this album ASAP. And big up's to everyone that donated to the band after their van crash.

Rating: Strong 8.5/10

~VII

OSK - "Wretched Existence // Bleak Future 2007-2011" Review

A few months ago I was sitting around thinking to myself; "Boy, I really really love the band OSK. They're so cool and awesome. But I just wish that I could have all their music in one place, like a compilation CD of sorts. So I could have their music on my computer and be able to listen to them on my iPod all the time. That would be swell". Well apparently my thoughts traveled throughout the cosmos because a little while later it was announced that the always excellent To Live A Lie records was putting together the compilation CD I wished for. Smiles for days, people. In my opinion, OSK are one of the most criminally overlooked grind bands going today. Listening to this comp shows that not only does this Canadian trio have what it takes to blast with the best of them, but also the incredible consistency in quality throughout their existence. The songwriting is phenomenally strong, and displays a bit of variation from track to track. Like the metallic tremolo picking in the track "Empty White Box", the upbeat grooves in "Arm Yourself", and the heavy sludge riff influence in "Creeper", "It All Means Nothing Now" and "Lie Through Your Teeth". It really sounds like each song was tweaked with and constructed, instead of just blasting out grind riff after grind riff. I really have no qualms with this band, or this compilation. It's consistently excellent with little to no dull moments. The last few tracks of quite obviously of lower recording quality, but they only take up about a minute and a half of this 20+ minute comp. Crazy good band.

Rating: 9/10

(disclosure: TLAL sent me a promo)

~VII

Listen to Some New Six Brew Bantha Tracks

Canadian grindcore/powerviolence band Six Brew Bantha have uploaded 2 more songs from their upcoming "s/t" full-length and holy shit, consider me officially stoked as hell. By far the best sounding recording the band has ever done, stepping away from the basement quality production that their demo and split with Archagathus had in favor of a more refined, punchy and beefy sound. I'm also hearing a lot more fastcore influence in the riffs and songwriting; lots of stop/starts and sudden riff changes, which is always fine by me! No clue as to when this album will be released, but it can't come soon enough! Listen/download the tracks here.

~VII

Fuck the Facts - "Die Miserable" Album Review

It seems all I talked about in September/October was Fuck the Facts new album "Die Miserable", which makes me kinda bummed out that I'm just now posting a review of it. After all the hype I gave it you figured I would make it a top priority right? Go figure. And believe me it's not because I didn't like it, not at all. "Die Miserable" is a damn fine album and one of the more aggressive FTF albums I've heard. Life just happens and you tend to forget to do certain things. I'm only human after all.
Anywho, FTF have really upped the heaviness and weirdness on this album. Honestly, probably some of the heaviest material they've written since "Stigmata High Five", pulling back on the melodic parts just a little bit in favor of more layers of technical guitar work, some solos, non-conventional chords, some great vocals from Mel and bass player Marc, and non-conventional chords. Some parts like the beginning of the first song "Drift" and "A Cowards Existence", probably my favorite song on the album, actually kinda remind me of Hate Eternal in terms of how they utilize weird/crazy riffs. Though when they do bring-out the melody, it's sounds so epic and grand. They even threw in some clean(er) vocals on 7-minute centerpiece "Census Blank"(please don't let that freak you out). There's also way more bass on "Die Miserable" than a lot of previous efforts, which I really like cause Marc is a great player, and offers a lot on this album in terms of rhythm and song-writting. It's a great group effort, and I think the different influences brought from each member shows. It sounds like FTF really wanted to go all out with instrumentation on this album, doing a lot more with overdubs and less traditional grind nuances(is that a toy piano I hear in the middle on "A Cowards Existence"?). It's great see that FTF can still experiment and toy with their sound, and still sound like they always do! And yeah, did I mention that it's really fucking heavy? Awesome album, please buy it!

Rating: 8/10

~VII

You Must Listen to OSK. Right Now!!

     Every once and a while, I come across a grind band that truly excites me. A band that writes such great songs, and has such a great sound to them, that I take it upon myself to try and obtain everything that said band has released. OSK, is one of those bands. Hailing from the Great White North(specifically Vancouver), and with members of Massgrave in their ranks to boot. OSK, in a nutshell, create great, wonderful grindcore influenced powerviolence songs. Fast songs that blast out and end in the blink of an eye, but they also know how to right a catchy song with a great riff. For example, "Endless Repent", which has one of the best outro riffs I've heard in a while.

     I've been a fan of these guys for a few months now, and I think I have everything they've released, save for a demo tape that I'm sure is floating around somewhere. Split 7"s seem to be there thing, all of which are pictured above(in very shitty quality I might add, but do you know how hard it is to take a good birds-eye-view picture with a laptop? It's pretty fucking hard! I'll be getting a real camera soon). On  every split, except for the split with The Afternoon Gentlemen, they pretty much dominate the other band to the point that I wish they had both sides.  I hope a discography CD comes out soon so I can jam these on my ipod! Definitely hunt any of these splits down, and support OSK in anyway you can, cause they fucking rule. And if anyone knows how I can get a shirt, please let me know! 

Select Discography:

• Demo(?)
• split 7" with Warhero
• split 7" with Scumbelly
• split 7" with Roskopp
• split 7" with The Afternoon Gentlemen

~VII

KEN Mode – Venerable

Venerable is KEN mode’s fourth album and first for label Profound Lore Records.

Based on a review I read somewhere on the interweb (yes I still read album reviews) I decided to give this badboy a spin, as I like to take a chance occasionally. So glad I did. Usually it takes at least a few dedicated listens for me grasp the scope and magnitude of a piece of music. It can take weeks or months for a record to take hold and grow on me, but I was taken by this first listen. The shine has still not faded. It’s immediately apparent that this is music lovingly crafted over time during a period of peak creativity by individuals passionate about their craft. Pushing boundaries and wandering the path between sub-genres, KEN Mode deliver crushing but catchy post hardcore riffs presented in a doomy progressive manner. Think ISIS’ Oceanic in terms of sheer weight with the noise-rock dynamic of Converge’s later stuff. I’m writing this (shitty) review based solely on this album, I cannot compare this to any of their previous works as I have not heard anything that came before. No doubt I will back-track their catalogue slowly over time, careful not to rush, savouring every album in its own right. Each taking their unique place in the music/life timeline, creating associations with my own memories and experiences.

Kicking off with ball-stomper Book Of Muscle, low, rumbling bass and swaggering guitar work lay foundation for scathing mid-range vocal attack. The crushing pace is kept during the wandering bass of Obeying The Iron Will and the groove-laden Batholith. Speed is decreased with The Irate Jumbuck and the comparison to ISIS rings true. There’s an epic, progressive/post metal vibe going on whilst you are being crushed under the heaviness of it all, and the whole thing just works. Nail on the head. A Wicked Pike is an upbeat rockin’ little number leading up to the brilliant post-rock instrumental masterpiece, Flight Of The Echo Hawk, breaking the album up at roughly half-way. What impresses me most is the tango between guitar and bass and the way the thing builds and challenges your emotions. This is what happens when hardcore kids grow up to be passionate and accomplished musicians. Slowing things down yet even more is the dark, brooding Never Was. Whispered vocals and muted guitar give way to heavy-as-fuck riffs leaving you crushed under thick layers of sludge. The Ugliest Happy You’ve Ever Seen keeps the noisy fires burning until Terrify The Animals rolls in all sinister and then practically goes nowhere. This is the closest thing to filler on the entire record. Venerable is closed with Mako Shark, a killer track that thrashes about, caving skulls in as it goes. The drumming carries the songs well throughout the whole album, and production is clear, crisp and deliciously bass-heavy. KEN Mode are a band I want to get to know better.

Listen to Venerable through KEN Mode's Bandcamp page here

~Craig Welfare