Interview: Eric Wood

Ladies and gentleman, I have had the pleasure and honor of interviewing a true legend. Someone who has helped inspire countless hardcore, powerviolence, grindcore and noise groups through his bands Pissed Happy Children, Neanderthal, Man is the Bastard and Bastard Noise, among others; Mr. Eric Wood. Here we talk about Bastard Noise's incredible new line-up, the new full-length "Skulldozer", and the history of the SKULL. This interview was done over email.


VII: Let's start by hearing some praise towards your newest member Aimee (also a member of Progeria). How did you get her involved with Bastard Noise?


Eric Wood: Having Aimee join BASTARD NOISE wasn't actually planned but it proved to be the best thing for CONNELL and myself and BASTARD NOISE in general. On our U.S. tour last summer (2010), we had a nearly unbearable time to say the least with former member NELSON (electronics). That tour was to promote "A CULTURE OF MONSTERS" and we featured a number of "guest" vocalists that shared vocal duties with me on the track "THROUGH MODERN EXISTENCE" (THE MARCH OF THE TROLLS). In AUSTIN and DENTON,TEXAS we had Faiza Kranchei formerly of HATERD SURGE (and now with her own power unit MINDLESS), in SOMERVILLE,MASS. we had JAY RANDALL of AGORAPHOBIC NOSEBLEED , in MONTREAL and TORONTO, CANADA we had MATTHEW CARROLL formerly of THE ENDLESS BLOCKADE (R.I.P.), BRUTAL KNIGHTS and now also of DEATH AGONIES and finally in LOS ANGELES,CALIFORNIA we had Aimee Artz (PROGERIA) to accompany me on the piece. Our last show of our 2010 summer tour was at THE BLVD CAFE (in Los Angeles,Ca.) on July 16th with the magnificent PLUTOCRACY. CONNELL and I knew the end was near with NELSON so we made this set as unforgettable as possible, unified as the most dramatic sound bass and drum unit we could be and the crown jewel of positivity was Aimee doing "THROUGH MODERN EXISTENCE" with us "live" ! She totally ripped with such significant power, I was blown away. That was the last day incidentally CONNELL and myself ever spoke to NELSON again. Just a few days later I was on the phone with BEATTIE (NO COMMENT, MAN IS THE BASTARD) and he remarked how sick Aimee sounded and mentioned I should hit her up to join forces with BN as a permanent member. I was glad I took his advice to heart. I called up Aimee to see how she was doing and asked her at the same time. She agreed and the rest is history...

VII: Has the response to Aimees recruitment been positive?


Eric: Beyond a shadow of a doubt, YES ! Aimee is a fixture in Los Angeles AND has a lengthy musical background for years playing in bands. Also a very important thing (to me personally) is her musical taste which is very diverse. She is personable and works extremely hard. She is not afraid to learn. Her membership has brought about a "rebirth" to our "lean and mean" skull machine.


VII: Has Aimee brought anything to the table that Bastard Noise has never had before?


Eric: She has brought HERSELF to the table. That is the most important thing. She is proactive, intelligent, positive and the sickest vocalist !!! She adapted very quickly to the previous songs from "A CULTURE OF MONSTERS" and was a one third equal in writing and rehearsing the upcoming "SKULLDOZER" album.


VII: She handles the noise duties for live shows now, did she have to get used to handling noise equipment like that has she had previous experience?


Eric: Absolutely ! She has had to learn ! The ROARAFC "CAVEMAN ELECTRONICS" boxes have minds of their own. They are not "UL approved" so to speak. Developed as pure prototypes by BARNES back in 1989 even before he was a member of MAN IS THE BASTARD ! They constantly challenge the operator including myself. She, to my knowledge did not have previous experience. She also took her role one step further and purchased her own custom built light sensitive theremin to carve her own "niche" within the band. This is what I meant earlier by referring to her as "proactive". Certainly she is still learning. She isn't intimidated though and that is a skull blessing for us as a whole. With BARNES ROARAFC units, anyone that operates them is STILL learning.

VII: What can you tell us about your new full length "Skulldozer"? I've heard you say that this will be the best Bastard Noise material yet, what makes it the best?


Eric: I can tell you "SKULLDOZER" is our best recording to date because of three major points : 1) This is BASTARD NOISE' best line-up of personnel - Aimee adds so much vocally. Our sound now is much more driving with her. 2) "SKULLDOZER" possesses the best writing to date. "SKULLDOZER" is rich with tone AND aggression 3) "SKULLDOZER" is our best recording. It was again recorded and produced by MICHAEL ROZON ("ROGUE ASTRONAUT", "THE RED LIST" and "A CULTURE OF MONSTERS").


VII: The CD version of "Skulldozer" comes with a shirt and 2 extra tracks, which is normally the type of extra additions you see with vinyl releases. Why did you decide to put them with the CD version?


Eric: Concerning the two additional bonus tracks, it was due to time constraints between the analog and digital formats. Obviously the digital format holds a lot more time so the bonus tracks being present reflect that. The t-shirt ONLY comes with the c.d. because it is an incentive to buy the less desired (or popular) format of the album.


VII: Do you think CD's are even worth releasing now? It seems like now people are more attracted to buying vinyl and definitely downloading from the internet.


Eric: I like BOTH vinyl and compact disc but the compact disc format (as far as official recordings go) was set up to fail in the long term. When PHILLIPS and SONY invented the first compact disc, they could have easily also invented the technology to not have them be copied but that would have dug into blank c.d-r sales for them and as corporations, they looked at that potential lost revenue and the rest is history. While bands like METALLICA were extremely admirable for fighting against dogfuck shit like NAPSTER, they can also take the hit better unlike little ol' BASTARD NOISE. I love their crusade though. Music thieves should die. Especially computer downloaders. Fuck all the human maggots that steal a persons soul with the click of a fucking mouse. Dirtbag scourge.


VII: In addition to "Skulldozer", you've also released a split 12" with A.C.T.U.A.R.Y, and have another noise release and a live 12" coming out. The 2 latter releases seem to be pretty underground in terms of publicity, are they gonna be self-released?


Eric: "SKELETAL UNCERTAINTY" has been released by DUSTIN JOHNSTON (LOVE EARTH MUSIC) and the "live" BASTARD NOISE album (untitled at this point in time) will be released by DEEP SIX RECORDS in the near future.


VII: One of the songs on "Skulldozer" is about Rachel Corrie, a woman working for peace in Palestine who was run over by a bulldozer. Why did you decide to base a song around her?


Eric: Her story, like so many other peace activists was incredible to me personally. I LOVE Olympia, Washington where RACHEL CORRIE happened to be from so for some strange reason, she resonated with me. I remember the day it happened. So horrifying. She already had goals in the 5th grade to end starvation in the world especially when it came to children. There is a video on YOU TUBE of her giving a speech about that very subject to her 5th grade class. Really makes you stop for a moment and think of what you've got. The first time that I saw/heard this I was moved beyond words. There are many "RACHEL CORRIES" in the world as well as many peace activists that give up nearly everything if not their own lives for the benefit of others. I just felt strongly about it so myself and MICHAEL ROZON (our producer) put it together to include on the album.


VII: Is their going to be any touring in support of the new album?


Eric: Once we have guarantees to support our travel and the actual physical time to do so, yes we will tour. We are touring Europe in October through DOOMSTAR BOOKING in THE NETHERLANDS.


VII: This may be a sensitive subject, but what was up with Maryland Deathfest?


Eric: This is my opinion only : MDF is a "QUANTITY VS. QUALITY" event that is nostalgic to say the least. No sound check, bad on-stage sound, stage hands/sound persons unwilling to work with equals disaster and dis-satisfaction. It is also held in an open sewer of a location also. NEVER AGAIN without a contract to protect our musical interests and peace of mind.


VII: You recently played the 10 year anniversary show for Short, Fast and Loud, what was that show like?


Eric: The SHORT, FAST + LOUD two day event last january was great as far as attendance but I and CONNELL were sick. Playing last is fucking dire when too many bands are on the bill. But I got to sell merch next to DAVE of P.L.F. and "the brotherhood was truly born ! Aimee ruled. Terrible sound. GREAT crowd. GILAMN's soundman has no business fucking bands over the way he did. Not ATHENA KAUTCH's fault !!! P.L.F., CAPITALIST CASUALTIES and F.I.D. ruled. So many great people there though !!!!

VII: A lot of veteran bands played that show as well, it is surprising to see that bands from west coast hardcore scene like Lack of Interest and Despise You still have relevance? Even bands like Crossed Out, who only played something like 12 shows and had a handful of releases are still an influence to many hardcore/powerviolence bands today.


Eric: I think the human race is embarrassing and that's why in a general sense, good quality h.c. will always have relevance. LACK OF INTEREST and DESPISE YOU are no exceptions.


VII: Do you even think that there are any new powerviolence bands? Or that bands that claim to be powerviolence are what they say?


Eric: No - scabs need to start their own genre.


VII: Getting more into the past now, way into the past; how did Man is the Bastard start? How did the concept manifest itself?


Eric: MAN IS THE BASTARD was born from the ashes of P.H.C. and NEANDERTHAL. In the beginning (1990) we were known only as CHARRED REMAINS (named after a cassette tape v/a compilation featuring all Los Angeles bands like ILL WILL, SIN 34 NIP DRIVERS, etc.) but on the inside of the first release (a split 7" e.p. with BELFAST, N.IRELAND's PINK TURDS IN SPACE) we put CHARRED REMAINS A.K.A. MAN IS THE BASTARD. The name MAN IS THE BASTARD was coined by our drummer CONNELL during an early rehearsal for that 7" split e.p. release. We just quickly realized that CHARRED REMAINS was very limited in its' view of where we wanted to potentially go with subject matter (i.e. lyrics) and with what music that we wanted combine with it. It just came out of him ! It stuck right away and we never looked back. We knew due to the punk and hardcore bands of our era (1979-1990) that the world was obviously a corrupt vacuum if you play the game of "societal interaction" and of course we did so like any normal people we were often frustrated with the humans that controlled the world as we knew it. Those bands that helped so much to "cope" were early BLACK FLAG, N.O.T.A., THE OFFENDERS, early PRONG, M.D.C., YOUTH OF TODAY, HARD STANCE, B'LAST!, NECROS, MIGHTY SPHINCTER, NO FOR AN ANSWER, early CROMAGS, AGNOSTIC FRONT, RAW POWER, TOXIC REASONS, early C.O.C., CONDEMNED TO DEATH, DEPRESSION, STARK RAVING MAD,J.F.A., TH' INBRED, REAGAN YOUTH, DEAD KENNEDYS, WASTED YOUTH and the list goes on forever... MANCRUEL pisses and shits where he/she eats.


VII: Man is the Bastard was, musically and sonically, an incredibly forward thinking group for the type of scene you guys were involved in. Were their any limitations when it came to creating music?


Eric: Not really. Between CONNELL,KENYON and myself who wrote the bulk of the material, we worked fairly efficiently and with real passion for the music and its' vision. "THOUGHTLESS..." was our "peak" album to me personally. I always thought we could have gotten a better mix for the MUMIA ABU JAMAL/MAN IS THE BASTARD split 12" L.P./c.d.


VII: Another thing that I love about MITB was that you guys sort of became a collective. Was it easy to find like minded people to get involved?


Eric: At that time, it just sort of operated itself. I asked Barnes,Kenyon and Beattie all to join. Each of them possessed something unique that added character to the band. Kenyon asked Lawrence to join (the last two years of the band's existence). We were fairly compatible up until just before the very end where drug issues destroyed all of our hard work. People are human and make mistakes. It is not worth crying over spilled soymilk any longer.


VII: Where did the iconic Skull image come from? Was it adapted from Neanderthal?


Eric: I found that exact skull in a reference book at THE CLAREMONT LIBRARY in early 1989. It was in an anthropology book and it was the first "modern man" skull ever to be unearthed by a profession expedition team of anthropologists. It is directly related to NEANDERTHAL because NEANDERTHAL was an earlier project/band and M.I.T.B. was obviously its contemporary hence the "MODERN MAN" skull versus the NEANDERTHAL one.


VII: Even though MITB is done, are you still tight with Aaron and Barnes?


Eric: Only BARNES. BARNES is a true brother and giving soul who's "real" to me on every level of friendship. KENYON and I do not speak. I do not hate him. KENYON truly helped define MAN IS THE BASTARD and was a gifted player/lyricist/performer to collaborate with. I will leave it at that.


VII: I assume you don't use "the boxes" anymore?


Eric: Yes we do. One isn't fully operational at the moment and is in the transition of being "tuned up". These original units are simply blowing. Aimee uses one of the original ROARAFC "CAVEMEN ELECTRONIC" boxes "live" and on the new album "SKULLDOZER". Just wait until you hear it !


VII: Bastard Noise started pretty much the same time as MITB, and as it's own project, which a lot of people might not get. It was never a side project to MITB as I understand, right?


Eric: You are correct. Using the term "side project" is what people who truly don't "get it" say. It was its own enigma, origin of expression and identity. Thank you for realizing this important fact.


VII: BN has been pure noise up till the Endless Blockade split. What made you pick up bass again and bring it into the fold?


Eric: I came out of severe drug addiction in 2004. From 1999-2004 I was in a horrible place. I hadn't picked up a bass from 1997-2007 ! That was 10 years of not ever touching the instrument I loved so very much and that defined part of my creative identity. It took me at least 18 months to get back what I lost during my "personal darkness". That was a grueling process with no one to hold my hand whatsoever. The instrument will not play itself. You have to pursue it with everything in your being to re-achieve the past, present and future ! So to answer your question as to what made me pick up the bass again, it was missing the instrument and knowing in my heart there was so much more to be accomplished. "THE RED LIST" was that first rung of the new musical "ladder". "A CULTURE OF MONSTERS" was the second and now "SKULLDOZER" is the third.


VII: I feel that MITB has sort of become reborn in BN. The recruitment of Conell has definitely influenced that thought.


Eric: I agree completely. With CONNELL it is joyous again. The chemistry is divine with him (and now with Aimee) Credit MUST be given however to DANNY WALKER (INTRONAUT/MURDER CONSTRUCT) who assisted BN highly in getting our footing initially as a "musical force" and who plays drums on the BN portion of "THE RED LIST" and who toured with BASTARD NOISE in JAPAN in 2009.

VII: Pretty much all of the songs on your last full length "A Culture of Monsters" were resurrected Cyclops and MITB songs. Why did you decide to bring these songs up again and give them new life?

Eric: CONNELL and I agreed that the CYCLOPS compositions we wanted to "resurrect" would be the ones on side one or the first three tracks on "A CULTURE OF MONSTERS". Those three we decided to "run into one another" sequentially. It felt natural to do so - not contrived whatsoever. They came very naturally to us. Back in the CYCLOPS days, we were not experienced with knowing how to acquire good recording or mix. All three of those tracks were recorded previously but not on the level of quality they have been now. Also the tracks lacked quality musical embellishments that I feel at least, are there now on "A.C.O.M.". The added vocals really gave the music life and the production by MICHAEL ROZON gave us a true realization of this. Truly only "PINCER'S MOVEMENT" , "ME AND HITLER" and "A SILENT NIGHT IN THE HORRIBLE GARDEN" are "old" ones. Everything else was brand new to the album.

VII: Who are some of the bass players that inspire you?

Eric: CHRIS SQUIRE (YES), RAYMOND SHULMAN (GENTLE GIANT), JEFFREY HAMMOND-HAMMOND (JETHRO TULL), BURKE SHELLY (BUDGIE), GARY THAIN (URIAH HEEP),PERCY JONES (BRAND X),DENNIS DUNAWAY (original ALICE COOPER), early GENE SIMMONS before he became a dick (KISS), RALPHE ARMSTRONG (MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA, JEAN LUC PONTY,etc.), GEEZER BUTLER (BLACK SABBATH), early STEVE HARRIS (IRON MAIDEN), BOOTSY COLLINS, JAMES JAMERSON( MARVIN GAYE,etc.) JOHN WETTON (KING CRIMSON,URIAH HEEP, U.K.), JACO PASTORIOUS (WEATHER REPORT, SOLO), DENNIS BALL (BEDLAM), JAMES DEWAR (ROBIN TROWER) and on and on...

VII: What's the future looking like for BN?

Eric: Incredible. We are already starting the writing process for the next album already after "SKULLDOZER" !! This IS the line-up of BASTARD NOISE !!!

VII: Final thoughts?

Eric: Please check out our website bastardnoise.org as there are many amazing videos created by good friend JAY RANDALL (AGORAPHOBIC NOSEBLEED) that feature the music of BASTARD NOISE, SUPPRESSION, ANB and more ! If you have any merchandise or related questions to the band please write ewbastardnoise@gmail.com

Thank you for the interview !!

~VII

Interview:Chris Elder(Despise You)

Here is a quick interview I did with Despise You's Chris Elder over Email. Buy their stuff here.

~Andrew Lipscomb

Hey man, how are you?

Good, getting ready for this east coast tour.

You guys are embarking on a tour with Magrudergrind in September, how did that come about?

Our drummer was in touch with the Shitstorm guys about it, then Chris from Magrudergrind got involved and it happened from there.

You also had a split with Agoraphobic Nosebleed come out earlier this year, can you tell us how about that?

Just one of those things we'd been talking about with Scott and Jay from ANb, and it finally came together

How did the Despise You reunion happen?

It wasn't really a reunion, we just werent doing anything for a while. Chris Dodge hit up Phil at a party or something about getting it going and we did, that was a few years ago.

How was the Short, Fast, and Loud 10 year anniversary show?

Good show, it's about as close as you can get to the feeling of the old Fiesta Grande shows up there, very non metal.

How does the scene differ today from when Despise You first started?

It's about the same just more bands and more people are into it. It's also easier to find out about new records, shows, etc.

How did you get into music?

My folks listened to music all the time, but my uncle turned me on to Black Flag. That was my "introduction."

What attracts you to hardcore music?

I like all kinds of shit, but I guess the "urgency" of it, same as back in the day.

How does it feel to have been a part of the west coast powerviolence movement?

I think people make it a bigger deal than it is. If you asked all the bands back then, they didn't think they were a part of anything "special."

Do you think the current generation of powerviolence/hardcore bands are a good continuation of the scene you were a part of?

Yeah, it's still serious and sincere.

Who are some newer bands that you dig?

There's a bunch, but I think Coke Bust is the one I play the most lately. The Low Threat Profile 7" is really good too.

If you were stuck on a desert island and could only bring 3 albums, what would you bring?

2 copies of Black Flag-Damaged in case one gets fucked up, and Zapp's greatest hits.

What are some bands you would love to do a split with?

What Shame? and Coke Bust.


Where do you get all of the images used in the Despise You artwork?

Mostly out of old books.

Are there any future releases planned?

None right now.

Thanks for the interview, any other comments?

Thanks.

VII's Recent Vinyl Purchases

     A little while ago on my old blog, I made posts where I showed off some of my prized pieces of vinyl, and some of my recent purchases. Well, our main-man Andrew dug it a lot, and has suggested that I do posts like that again on OG. I love showing sweet vinyl, so here are my latest records. Now, I've been away from my turntable for a few days, so I haven't gotten the chance to listen to any of these yet, but at least I can give you some pretty(?) pictures.

     The first two records I purchased from Hells Headbangers. I don't order from them too much cause they don't carry a lot of stuff I'm in to, but whenever I do, I'm always pleased with how well the records are packaged and how fast the shipping is.

     First up is the Kill the Client/Thousandswilldie split 7", released on RSR. I downloaded all the tracks from this, so I know what it sounds like, and both bands thoroughly kill it on this split. Kill the Client tear through 3 tracks of fast/groovy/heavy grind with some cleaner production. Great stuff.      Thousandswilldie give 5 tracks of super crazy, sorta-technical grindcore. Seriously, one of grinds best kept secrets. I'm super bummed they broke up. I hear they have a few post-mordum releases coming out, but I'm not sure.

     Pretty familiar RSR packaging. I think this is the first 7" of theres that I got where the cover art sleeve actually fits the dust sleeve. Well done! I just wish it didn't have that shitty text on the front cover. Transparent yellow vinyl too. Sexy.

     Next up is something that I was really surprised to find in the HHb store; the Capitalist Casualties/Hellnation split LP. Hell yeah!! Of course I bought that. I've actually been wanting this for a while, I fricking love Hellnation. I love this cover too. I don't know why, it's just so fun to look at.

     Released on Six Weeks and Sound Pollution Records (duh), with a 2-sided insert with lyrics and black vinyl. Pretty standard packaging. Can't wait to listen to this.

     Lastly is one that I picked up at my local shop. Pretty much just cause I saw it was released by Six Weeks and I wasn't finding anything else that I wanted. Strong Intentions - "What Else Can We Do But Fight Back". It's pretty beat up around the edges and it's got slight ring-wear, but it was 10 bucks and the vinyl is in good shape. Why not, right? In hindsight, I actually do recognize the name from the 2nd "This Comp. Kills Facists". I gave it a quick spin at the shop; it's fast, sloppy hardcore. Decent. Come's with two, double sided inserts with lyrics and pictures, on black vinyl.

~VII

Andrew's Favorite Releases of 2011 So Far(Updated)

Well, my first post I ever did on this blog was about my favorite albums of the year so far, so why am I doing another one? One, there have been a ton more releases that have came out that are great. Two, some of the albums that were originally on my list, haven't held up as much for me and I don't find myself listening to them anymore. Anyways here is my list, feel free to comment about what I forgot, what sucks on my list, etc. Also this is in no specific order!

Robocop-Robocop II

This album is awesome, it's a perfect blend of Powerviolence, Grind, Doom, and Noise! I literally have nothing bad to say about this album! The lyrics are also great, they range from politics to poking fun at Skramz fans. If you haven't downloaded this album yet, I feel sorry for you!

Priapus-Air Loom

Priapus are one of the best bands from NC! They play technical music that isn't technical just for the sake of showing off their chops. Every one of the songs on Air Loom is memorable! They don't disappoint live either!

Dead Language-S/T

Looking at the line up of Dead Language which features members of Iron Lung, No Comment, and a ton of other bands, you already know that this release is going to be killer! This album is just unrelenting powerviolence up until the last track "Misanthropy" where things take a noisier and sludgier turn! I highly suggest that you check this band out if you are a fan of powerviolence!

Noisear-Subvert the Dominant Paradigm

Noisear are another technical grind band that write memorable songs, instead of just showing off their playing skills. One of the things I love about Noisear is the variety of vocal styles that they have. During the 30 songs that are on this album, Noisear show that they have a lot to offer.

Wormrot-Dirge

This album kills! Wormrot did the daunting task of making an album as great as, if not better than Abuse. This album has some sick riffs that will definitely get stuck in your head, and Arif's vocals destroy as usual! Check this album out if you haven't yet, it is free, so you have no excuse not to.

Gripe-The Future Doesn't Need You

By far the angriest release I have heard this year. This EP is a nonstop punch in the face. I have listened to The Future Doesn't Need You about a 100 times and it still hasn't gotten old. Gripe give us a perfect combination of Powerviolence and Grindcore and if you are a fan of pissed off music check this out now!

~Andrew Lipscomb

Operation Grindcore Vol. 1 Tapes!!!

Operation Grindcore Vol. 1 tapes are finally here! Only 30 of these were made and only 15 are available from me! This is a co-release between me and DIY Noise. DIY Noise did all the dubbing/making the tapes, and I compiled it. Special thanks to Eduardo from DIY Noise for everything, check his label out and support him! These will most likely sell out fast, so go ahead and get one if you want one. Buy here

~Andrew Lipscomb

Bandcamp Artist of the Week: Worn Out

     ROOOOAR!!! I bring you another Bandcamp artist that you should seriously start listening to right now! Worn Out are a grindcore/hardcore band from Chicago, and they play a pretty straight forward, no bullshit style of very HxCx inspired grind. Blasts a plenty, thick, distorted bass, little to no metal influence, excellent production and I'm pretty sure there's female vocals. A few sludge parts pop up occasionally, and they're heavy as fuck. I find that slow parts are way more effective when used in moderation, which a lot of bands don't seem to get (*cough*WeekendNachos*cough*). I really dig it a lot, it's the type of thing I would put on when I need a good auditory ass-whooping. Fans of Extortion, The Endless Blockade, and ACxDC should definitely find a lot to love with this EP. Also, this is one of those releases that has each track really flow into each other seamlessly. So if you want to listen to this demo as one solid piece without those ugly pauses, I suggest you pay the measly 2 bucks and blast this fucker!!! I believe there are some cassette copies available here. And you can stream/download it here. Grind your fucking face off!!

~VII

Sick/Tired-High Life

I just started listening to this band, Sick/Tired features members of fastcore band Mk-Ultra, and the one and only, one of my favorite modern hardcore bands; Weekend Nachos. Sick/Tired take influences from lots of different music. In this newest lp they put out(on To Live A Lie records) there are many different influences including grindcore(being one of the most obvious), Punk/HC/PV/Crust, southern rock, and a little bit of old school swedish death melody. Every song kills! They have a great balance of noisy grind blasts, punk circle pit madness, and a little bit of catchy southern sludge to top it off, with sick growling to add to the rage. I feel like this band is creating something very original while still remaining grind as fuck. This record is really exciting to hear. Everyone should look out for this record/band. I really think they're going somewhere, I'm excited to see where they go. And if you live in the Raleigh North Carolina area you should come out on September 14th to Kings Barcade to see Sick/Tired play with West coast powerviolence legends Despise You, Modern powerviolent grinders Magrudergrind, Raleigh pissed of hardcore punks in Stripmines, Raleigh crust freaks Man Will Destroy Himself, and Wall, a powerviolence duo from Wilmington. Goddamn that's gonna be an amazing show. Listen to a track from the album here

Stand out tracks: Highlife, Razors, 30 Pack Attack, Last Stand For a Dead Man, Banishment.

This shit is fucking awesome!

~Eli Thorp

Get Destroyed - "Shut In" Review

     Holy.Fuck. This 7" tore me a new one. For real, I am really, really digging this. You all need to get this, ASAP! But let's rewind a little bit. Get Destroyed are a 4-piece powerviolence band from Tempe, AZ. They put out two 7 inches previously, both of which were well received in the underground. I was introduced to them by their 2nd 7", "Burnt Offerings". I liked it, but it wasn't really blowing my mind. But holy fuck have they delivered the goods this time on their new EP "Shut In", a shared release from To Live a Lie, Give Praise, RSR and 625 Thrashcore. 8 tracks of loud, heavy, pissed off, hard as a rock powerviolence!
     Taking a lot of influence from the fastcore genre too; stop-start song structures, constantly changing tempos, and heavy, heavy slow riffs. These tracks go fast and go hard, and if you blink, you might miss them! The guest vocals by Grace Perry, vocalist of the death metal band (and fellow Arizona natives) Landmine Marathon are an awesome addition as well. Sadly, this is a post-mordum release for Get Destroyed. They broke up last year I believe(Ed. They are apparently still together and are working on a full-length. GET STOKED!), but at least they went out on a high note. You can pick up the 7" here. and listen to some tracks here and here. Play it loud! Highly Recommended!

~VII

Bandcamp Artist of the Week: Curmudgeon

   Welcome to another addition of "Bandcamp Artist of the Week"! Where we highlight bands that we think people should know about who share their music on, dur, Bandcamp. This weeks band is Curmudgeon; a 4-piece powerviolence outfit from Boston. They have their debut tape, "Human Ouroboros" available to FREE download, and also a link to where you can buy the physical. Musically, they play dirty, raw powerviolence that sounds an awful lot like Iron Lung, except with female vocals, I dig it a lot. I hear that they're gonna have a release on the always awesome To Live a Lie records, so look out for that. Check Curmudgeon here and play it loud! 

~ VII

Get Pissed With The Afternoon Gentlemen!

I can tell you one thing right now, The Afternoon Gentlemen are one of the next great powerviolence bands! They recently toured with Weekend Nachos and have been generating a lot of buzz in the underground. They kind of sound like Spazz, but with harsher vocals. If you are a powerviolence fan I highly recommend that you check this out! You can stream Pissedography for free at the Give Praise Records Bandcamp page here, and if you want to be extra cool you can buy a copy here.

~Andrew Lipscomb

VII's Favorite Albums of the Year (So Far...)

   Death Grips - "Exmilitary": This debut mix-tape from the California avant-gard hip-hop trio is one of the most punishing releases I've heard all year, no joke. With Zach Hill manning the drums and some of the production duties, and an MC who screams his guts out at you over some of the most noisy and pummeling beats I've ever heard, Death Grips have created one of the most interesting, and loudest records I've heard all year. You can download the mix-tape for free on their website.

Rotten Sound - "Cursed": The Finnish masters of grind have returned at full force with this, their 6th full length album. Definitely their most varied album, Rotten Sound have seamlessly blended D-Beat crust, sludgey riffs, dick-wavingly fast grind, and incredibly catchy songwriting to make one of the most solid and listenable grind albums I've heard all year. Yes, this thing is catchy, but Rotten Sound still have plenty of intensity left in them, and it definitely shows on "Cursed".

Touche Amore - "Parting the Sea Between Brightness and Me": I'm admittedly a bit new to the whole "emo hardcore" scene, but this record really blew me away. One of the most emotionally powerful and sincere records I've heard in a long time, Touche Amore have created an album that you can mosh too, but can also really tap into that vulnerable side we all have. You may laugh at and dismiss the heartfelt, revealing lyrics, or you may cry when you read them. Either way, this record will definitely leave mark.

Dethroned Emperor: "War Grind Hell": I heard this EP from the Brooklyn duo last year when they sent it to me to review, but it got an official cassette release this year, and I think it still holds up. A good mix of old-school grind and bestial death metal, with a lo-fi, bassy recording and catchy riffs to boot. Definitely a band that you should all check out, visit their website to find out how to purchase the tape. Quality stuff.

Psychic Limb: "Queens": The best grind album you may never hear from this year, Psychic Limb - "Queens" is some of the most solid, kick-ass, no bullshit, original 10 minuets of grind I've heard. Perfect production, perfect songs, perfect album length, I really can't say anything wrong about it. And if you wanna hear it, you better be ready to search long and hard. No social networking pages for this band, Jack. Good luck.

Beastie Boys - "Hot Sauce Committee Part 2": I am so fucking happy that the Beastie Boys came back strong with their latest full length. Arguably the best stuff they've done in at least a decade (sure as fuck better that "To the 5 Boroughs"). The Beastie Boys are back, as forward thinking as ever. The beats are as psychedelic as they are funky, drenched in futuristic sounding synths, blips and bloops, and some kick-ass guest spots from Nas and Santigold. Welcome back boys, I've missed you!

Agoraphobic Nosebleed/Despise You - "And On and On...": Being the die-hard ANb fan I am, I had to put this on my best of list. ANb give us 7 tracks of sludge and grind, a logical continuation from "Agorapocalypse", with maybe a more up-front thrash/crossover influence. And the Despise You side, forget about it, of course it's great. Some of the best hardcore I've heard all year. Fast, heavy, and direct. Fantastic.

 ~VII

Cloud Rat-S/T

Opening with the one-two punch of “Athena” and “Pill Birth”, Cloud Rat’s self titled debut wastes no time in establishing themselves as a no-holds-barred punk inflected grind act. However, the deeper you get into the album, it becomes obvious that they have more than just one trick up their sleeve. “Le Foie Du Michigan” centers around a riff that would make Eyehategod proud and “Dwell” plays with melodic hardcore, all without sacrificing an ounce of intensity. The biggest surprises of all however, comes in the form of the psychedelic, spoken word of “Yama” which never picks up beyond the speed of your average Isis song, yet still manages to hold your interest. It’s a nice way to break up an intense album and the technique shows up a few more times, proving that this sort of thing is actually a part of the band’s sound and not just throwaway bit. Another ace in the hole for this release is the production, giving each instrument it’s space but also working the wall of noise angle that is essential to any grind band worth their salt. Also, its FUCKING FREE. Your last excuse for not checking these guys out just got kicked down the stairs.

Download here

~Marc Sabo

Download Iron Crow's Demo

   Will Butler, owner and operator of the exceptionally awesome To Live a Lie Records, has a band now, and he's put up their debut demo plus a live recording of their first show up for free download. Musically, it's very old-school inspired powerviolence. Fans of Crossed Out and Capitalist Casualties should dig this( there's even a Crossed Out cover!). Download it here, and for those who fancy physical copies, there are a limited amount of cassette copies available here! Grind!!

   ~ VII

Bandcamp Artist of the Week: Shit Weather

     Holy shit do you guys NEED to hear this. The debut demo from the Melbourne, Australia sludge/grind quartet Shit Weather. This demo is noisy, dirty, raw, filthy, and heavy as fuck. Everything is wrapped in this blanket of distortion, and the songs are chock full of powerviolence riffs and sludgy breakdowns. Reminds me of a mix of In Disgust, Shitstorm and Iron Lung, and best of all, it's for free download! Download this now and play it loud! They have a cassette version of the demo available in various distros. Check their Facebook while your at it. GRIND!!!

~ VII