FOOTAGE OF NEW PIG DESTROYER SONGS!!!

I have been wanting Pig Destroyer to release a new album for sooooo long now, the wait is literally painful sometimes. The loss of long time drummer Brian Harvey broke my heart and made me think that the writing process would be slowed down due to the arrival and breaking-in of new drummer Adam Jarvis(of Misery Index). But today, like a gift from the Gods, footage of three short, new Pig Destroyer songs were discovered on the internet. Hallelujah everybody, the Pig is back!! The sound quality is fucking atrocious, but I can still make out killer riffs, grooves and breaks in these songs. New drummer Adam does a good job keeping up with Scott Hull too, and does a sweet kick-drum break at 1:23. Consider me stoked out of my mind.

~VII

Get Destroyed Interview

Arizona has spawned some of the toughest, heaviest powerviolence in the last couple years, one of heaviest being Get Destroyed. This Tempe, AZ quartet released their awesome new EP "Shut In" this year(a joined release by To Live a Lie, Give Praise, 625 Thrashcore and RSR), and a full length record may be in the works soon. Pretty impressive for a band who was thought to have broken up just a year ago. I caught up with a few members over email to discuss what's being going on with Get Destroyed.

~VII

Operation Grindcore: The new EP "Shut In" is excellent! Are you guys happy with how it all came out?

Nik: It is my favorite record that we have done.  

Jay: Yes.

Zach: We are always trying to do something new. I think we did that.

OG: It was commonly thought that you guys had broken up after releasing "Burnt Offerings" and that "Shut In" was going be a post-mordum release, but then I heard that it was just a hiatus of sorts. What really happened between those two releases?

Nik: Ben moved to Washington right after we recorded “Burnt Offerings,” and at that point figured we wouldn’t be able to play shows or write music anymore.  We ended playing an awesome winter show when Ben was back in town and decided to write another record. 

OG: I've heard that a full-length album is in the works. Can you give us any info on that?

Nik: Jay has always wanted to release a full length. Zach and I have resisted because of how much material we would have to write, and the fact that it is hard for us to get together. I drove into AZ for about two weeks and we wrote ten songs. The writing got cut short because Jay was brutally assaulted. He was jumped by three guys with bats.  We are planning on continuing to write for the full length, but we have no idea when it will be done. 

Jay: I've been pushing for a full length for some time now. I wanted "Shut In" to be a full length but the 14 minutes of music we wrote turned into 7 minutes once it went through the recording process. Somehow everything becomes twice as fast in the studio. Like Nik mentioned, we've been working on new material but we cut it short because I went through a brutal assault. I ended up in a trauma center for some serious head wounds but luckily I am fine with no permanent damage. Or at least that's how it seems for now. We don't know when we will finish writing and recording this album. We're not rushing this.

Zach: Powerviolence full lengths always stretch my attention span. I think we just want to make sure we do it right and that there's no filler on it. If, and when, it comes out, it will be fucking MEATY.

OG: Grace Perry from Landmine Marathon does some vocals on "Shut In", how did she get involved?

Nik: We have always been friends with Landmine Marathon. Their guitarist Ryan Butler has record all three of our records. Ben contacted Grace to be on the record and she was game. All of the vocal construction was Ben’s idea, and I loved the way it turned out.

Jay: Some of Get Destroyed's first shows were with Landmine Marathon back in 2005/2006 and that's how we met Grace. She always stuck around and watched us, back before we released any records and nobody knew or cared who we were. She's a rad person, as well as the rest of the Landmine crew!

Zach: I have no idea how she got involved. I didn't even know she was on the record until I heard it.

OG: Arizona seems to be the birth place of many excellent hardcore/powerviolence bands like Magnum Force and Sex Prisoner. Has Arizona always had good scenes?

Jay: Arizona has its up and downs, like any other place. The last few years have definitely been brutal. A few people have taken it into their hands to get some DIY venues going, which has really spurred the punk and hardcore scene into action. The result is some rad bands like Magnum Force and Avon Ladies as well as others coming out of Arizona. Sex Prisoner from Tucson are absolutely brutal, probably some of the best power-violence out there right now. We have played shows with them and their old bands and it's always a good time.  

Zach: We all have real lives at this point, so its hard to keep two feet planted in the scene. Get Destroyed is the thing that keeps us together.

OG: Are there any ambitions to tour?

Nik: We would like to, but I don’t see how it will ever be possible. Because of school, both Zach and I are unable to tour.

Jay: Maybe someday but right now it is very unlikely.

OG: Besides the full-length are there any other recording projects you guys have planned?

Nik: No.

OG: This is a question we ask all our interviewees; if you were stuck on a desert island, which 3 albums would you bring with you?

Nik: “No Heroes” Converge, "A Life Less Plagued" Carry On, "Far" Regina Spektor

Jay: I would definitely not bring any hardcore records because I would be angry enough as it is. Probably: Fugazi "The Argument" / Beatles "White Album" / Animal Collective "Sung Tongs"

Zach: The Knife “Silent Shout”, Infest “Mankind” EP, Weezer “Pinkerton”

OG: Thanks for the interview, any final thoughts?

Nik: Keep up the good work. Thanks for the interview!!

Jay: If you're reading this and you live in Japan, book us a tour!

Zach: Thanks!

Bandcamp Artist of The Week: Inside The Beehive

Lady's and gentlemen; Inside The Beehive. A 4-headed beast from the depths of northern New Jersey who create super technical spastic blasting music. If you like dissonant riffs, high pitched screams, constant stop/start changes and great production, you should definitely check this band out ASAP. Though honestly, some of you may question their "grindcore" status and the breakdowns may throw a few people off, but if Cephalic Carnage is considered grind dammit these guys can be too! Like CC, Inside The Beehive display incredible, tight musicianship with enough unique nuances to keep it interesting, and I really enjoy it! They have their debut EP "Drink Bleach; Live Forever" up for free download on their bandcamp, and you can pick up a cassette version from out good friends in DIY Noise. 

~VII

More Sad News: Defeatist Are Breaking Up

Shit, I was sure that I had already posted about this, my bad. So yeah not really breaking news, but for those who don't know Brooklynn, NY's grind-trio Defeatist have decided to call it quits. Another huge loss for grindcore, cause these guys really slay, all there albums and splits are really good, there latest full length "Tyranny of Decay" probably being my favorite. Seriously, you all should check it out and buy the 12" record here. They funded the whole recording and release themselves, so help some good people out by buying their shit! Like Maruta, Defeatist will have one last hurrah and play a stacked show on December 17th with Triac, Psychic Limb, Disciples of Christ and Backslider. Definitely not to be missed, one of the first shows my band played was with Defeatist and they're are a non-stop beatdown of blasting grind. I'll close with this; ATTENTION GOOD BANDS! STOP BREAKING UP!! Sincerely, VII Caso.

~VII

Maruta Broke Up

I fucking LITERALLY just got up. I awoke and thought to myself "today's gonna be a great day!", but it isn't off to a good fucking start when the first bit of news I read about is that Maruta have called it quits! The hell!!! Talk about news outta no where! You can read the official statement that vocalist Mitchell Luna gave Lambgoat here.

I'm honestly incredibly surprised that they decided to break up, especially considering how good a year that they've had; their latest album "Forward to Regression" is quite excellent and has gotten a huge amout of praise from many publications, they practically just finished a European tour with Wormrot, it seemed like they were serious troopers and would continue to make great albums, to me at least. Sad news for the grind community, definitely a bummer to see an awesome band go. You have one last chance to see them live at their last show on Sunday, December 4th at Churchills in Miami, Florida, and you can pick up "Forward to Regression" from Willowtip Records.

~VII 

Interview: Eduardo Carrillo(DIY Noise, Sordo, Wages of Fear, Larva)

DIY Noise are one of the sickest labels out there today! If you haven't checked them out you should, by giving them a like on their Facebook page here. Here is a short interview I did with main man Eduardo Carrillo over email.

~Andrew Lipscomb

First off, why did you start DIY Noise?

Excellent question! Haha Diy Noise started during my three month vacation from work of this year. At the time I wasn't attending school or doing much with my bands. Everyday was essentially the same, I'd wake up, take a dump, eat some cereal, walk my dog and pretty much repeat that over and over again. By July I was already bored to death and wasn't enjoying my time off from work. I can't just sit down and do nothing I have to be constantly doing something productive and positive and just keep truckin.

What is the process like for putting out a release?

It's fairly simple. Tapes are a lot easier in my opinion then cd's and vinyl. First I find a band or a band contacts me. We talk for a bit and come to the usual agreement for when it comes to DIYN releases. 50 tapes I keep around 10-20 of em. Sometimes half for Sordo or Larva splits. Afterwards all I ask for is artwork, band info and of course the music. And in a few days or weeks depending on how busy I am or how much work the release calls for I come out with the tapes ready to be sent off to the band.

Tell us about your own bands Sordo, Larva, and Wages of Fear

Sordo started about 2-3 years ago. At first it was just my brother (the singer) and myself. I would do all the instruments and he would handle vocal duties. When we first started their wasn't really a huge fastcore/pv/noise scene so we pretty much just wrote tunes and put them up online. As time went by we recruited a drummer from another band I play in (Wages of Fear) and since then we just started to network and hook up with other bands for splits and stuff. Larva is the same thing almost except with a bigger lean towards noise and shit-fi stuff haha. It's been around a bit longer then Sordo but in the beginning I had no idea about the crazy huge noise scene. I knew about Bastard Noise and The Gerogerigegege but other then them I didn't think it was such a huge thing. It wasn't until recently that I started to hookup with other cats to do noisecore splits and stuff. Wages of Fear has been around for a while I think. I use to catch their shows before I joined up. I saw them open up for the Adicts and it was pretty cool because at the end of their set they tossed a shirt into the crowd that I caught. A few months later their guitarist Marc quit and they began looking for a replacement. This was when Myspace was still up haha, they posted a bulletin and I had thought about joining just because I wasn't really doing anything with my other projects. They had actually messaged my brother asking if he knew anybody he he referred me. The next week I went for an audition (I'm pretty sure I was the only one who did haha) and the next day they asked if I would join up with them. They had just put out a cd with Give Praise and we're wanting to do another one So we started churning up some new tracks. I think about 7-8 of the tracks from the self-titled are mostly riffs that I came up with.

Let's take it way back, how did you get into music?

My family has always been into music. I can remember almost every song I've ever heard since I was a tiny version of my now self. Most of the stuff I listened to was in Spanish. Juan Gabriel, Los Bukis, Bronco, Los Tucanes etc... bunch of Ranchera and Corridos as they are called.
I also loved Michael Jackson a bunch haha. When I got older I started getting into more of the mainstream American music, nothing in particular just a bunch of different stuff here and there RHCP, RATM, SOAD, etc... My first actual band was KISS I started collecting all of the cd's when I was around 12 or so. Around that time I started to learn how to play the guitar. After my KISS phase I discovered punk music, I remember listening to Gorilla Biscuits and Crass a bunch haha but what really got me into it was The Misfits. As time progressed my idea of punk music broadened into hardcore. Minor Threat especially since they we're sober punks. Later on I got into darker heavier more extreme stuff thanks to a buddy of mine. He introduced me to Charles Bronson, Infest, Ruido etc...

If you were stuck on a desert island for the rest of your life, and could only bring 3 albums, what would you bring?

Damn haha that's tough. Ummm...
Probably Re-Opened Wound by Warsore
Somery by Descendents
and the Discography cd from Los Crudos.

Do you have a certain criteria for having a release on DIY Noise?

No, not really. I've said since the start of the label that I would release almost any band as long as they were for the DIY cause. If anything, I don't release or put out stuff with pentagrams or anything dealing with Satan.In fact when I was doing the CHULO release I noticed on their Myspace page that they used a bit of that. I asked them if they wouldn't mind altering it to keep it off and the kindly did so at my request. Nothing against other peoples beliefs or views but I frankly don't give a shit about a band that uses stuff like that. I could never understand it either. Satan represents (at least from what I know) all the evil and bad that happens in this world. All the racism, sexism, murders, hate, pedophiles, avarice. All that shit that I'm against. Don't get me wrong I'm not a fuckin bible thumper or anything haha. It's just something that I've never been fond of. I usually stray away from music like that as well. All that satanic black death metal shit. It's boring to me either way.

Why do you think tapes have made sort of a comeback in recent years?

Not too sure. I don't think they ever really died down in popularity. I love cassettes, but I can see what you mean because for the longest time I didn't really know anybody else who had tapes still. I know the underground noise scene and other punk or pv scenes still depend on tapes as a cheaper alternative to cd's or vinyl. Especially in Mexico, tapes still thrive down there from what I hear.
Do you have any upcoming releases that you are excited about?

Hell yeah! ALL OF EM! haha but seriously the one that I'm like crazy pumped for is still a ways from even being announced to anybody (I guess I'm announcing it right here though haha) but I would really like to start work on a DIY Noise Collection on an LP. Pretty much I'd like to have EVERY band that I've worked with through the label to submit short fast tracks for a huge compilation

What are some other labels that have inspired you?

Slap a Ham most def. Just cause of the stuff they put out. I think the most prolific label that really inspired me the most was Lengua Armada.

Why do you think a DIY ethic is important?

DIY is much more then just doing something yourself. It's a lifestyle, it's how people made progress and what motivates people to get out their and invent things. I know I can pay someone X amount of dollars to make some stickers or some patches or shirts. But actually learning how to do it is just an overall better experience. Now I can print up swag for other bands and labels and teach people what it really costs to make stickers or buttons. Stickers are dirt cheap to make by the way. Buttons especially. Not only that but it gives whoever is DIYing all creative control of what they're doing and what they want to do. Rather then having some asshole manager who's only interested in $$$ control you.

Who are some musicians/bands that inspire you?

Plenty of bands and musicians have inspired me to play music and perform. But in terms of the whole spectrum and not just one area I would say Los Crudos have had the biggest impact on me. I could associate with them so much being a minority male in an area negatively stereotyped by the media as the worst place to live in Ventura County. Being and living here in El Rio, and me being Mexican, typically means that I should be listening to reggaton. I also should be uneducated, undocumented, a drug user, lazy etc... I would say that I am the antithesis of what's expected of me being a young Mexican male in El Rio. After watching "Beyond The Screams" A documentary that not only focuses on the Latino hardcore scene but also shows the importance of being politically aware. It reassured me that I was doing just fine where I stood being the different shade of brown and not just another quiet sheep wandering aimlessly among the wolves.

Thanks for the interview! Anything else that you would like to add?

Yes!
Thank you Andrew for being such a rad dude! Without you man no one would know about the label. You really helped me out a bunch and this interview just goes to show your undying support.
ALL HAIL Andrew OG Lipscomb!

New Old Painless Song

Gah, no post for a while. Sorry guys, there will be more posts soon! In the mean time, check out this excellent song from NC grinders Old Painless! It's a short and sweet blaster from their upcoming split with Priapus. This band is from Andrews area, so show them some support, cause they rule! Check out the song here.

~VII

BASTARD NOISE/LACK OF INTEREST SPLIT IN THE WORKS!!

OHOH.OH.OH.OH.OH.OH.OH.OH.OH.OH.OH.OH.OH.OH.OH.OH.OH.OH.OH.OH.OH.OH.OH.OH.OH.OH.OH.OH.OH.OH.OH.OH.OH.OH.OH.OH.OH.OH.OH.OH.OH.OH.OH.OH.OH.OH.OH.OH.OH.OH.OH.OH.OH.OH.OH.

Word is from Eric that this vinyl only split will hopefully be out early next year on Deep Six Records, and that's all I know so far. The wait is gonna kill me, this split is gonna crush heads. The brutality continues!!

~VII

Agoraphobic Nosebleed Get in The Holiday Spirit on Their New Flexi Disc!

Can you say "Best News of The Day"?? Well, technically not breaking news but I'm just hearing about it goddamit! One of my favorite bands, Agoraphobic Nosebleed, will have 11 brand-spanking-new tracks inspired by the holidays featured on Decibel Magazine's Flexi Series. I for one, and stoked beyond belief for my next issue to arrive. This is the best flexi that Decibel has done since the Napalm Death one a few issues ago. Not just cause it has grind songs on it, but because it's new and original material. My biggest peeve with the Decibel flexi's is that all the songs have either been covers or rehashed material from previous releases, while I think that if they concentrated on getting new material from these bands these flexi's would be more worth while. Truth be told, I haven't even listened to many of the recent flexi's I've gotten due to this issue, but I digress. You can stream all 11 tracks here, as well as all the previous Decibel flexi tracks. These new songs should definitely please old-school ANb fans who are unhappy with their more recent recordings. These songs are fast, furious blasters with that 1000 bpm pace and classic Jay Randall vocals, what more could you ask for?

~VII

Archagathus/Onanizer-Split(Review)

When you get an Archagathus split you pretty much know what you are going to get, just their signature style of crushing mince grind. The three Archagathus tracks on this split are further proof of that, fast drumming, muddy guitar/bass, the whole Archagathus sound is present. Their side is pretty solid, the only complaint I have is that the vocals don't really do it for me. I can't really put my finger on it, I love the high parts, but it just seems that the lows are too drawn out. Now on to the next side. Going into this split, I had never heard Onanizer before, so I really didn't know what to expect. While listening to their side I quickly discovered what I had been missing out on. I would best describe Onanizer's sound with one word; intense. It seems that they have taken everything that is great about grindcore and blended it together into something that they can call their own. This stuff is just pure gold. While listening to Onanizer I feel the urge to start punching holes in my wall, and to start violently moshing. The vocals are great, ranging from devastating screams to powerviolenc barks, the instrumentation is superb as well, everything sounds very tight and precise while not losing any intensity. This is a fantastic split, and I highly recommend that instead of just downloading it after reading this review, that you listen to it the way it was meant to be heard on vinyl, by picking up a copy from Pan Del Muerte Records.

FFO: Lt. Dan, Sakatat, Mesrine

Listen to Onanizer here

~Andrew Lipscomb

(Special thanks to Pan Del Muerte Records for the review copy)

One Year Ago: In Disgust Broke Up

Well guys and gals, it's been a full year since the uber-excellent In Disgust played their last show. And I am still incredibly pissed/sad that they broke up. In Disgust are one of my favorite grindcore bands, and they played some of the most brutal grind to ever blast from the west coast. I've heard a few rumors as to why they broke up, but my bro met up with Dave of PLF at Maryland Deathfest this year and he said that it's because singer/guitarist Matt Gomes got married and he wanted to concentrate on family, or something like that. Really wish that they continued on, since their split with PLF(the last thing they released before disbanding) is probably my favorite recording of theirs next to "Reality Choke", which remains in my top 5 grind releases everrrrrr. I hope they get the hell back together, and come tour the east coast so I can fucking see them live!!!! Here is some footage from their last show, play it loud and wish you were there!

And for those who don't know, the bass player and drummer formed a new grind/hardcore band called Permanent Ruin, who have releases a demo tape. They're good, you should check em out. 

~VII

R.I.P Wasteoid's Jeff "Jeffmetal" Sayers (1974 - 2011)

Wow, this is some sad news that I'm just now hearing. On September 11th, 2011, Jeff "Jeffmetal" Sayers, the bassist/vocalist of the "no coast" powerviolence/grindcore band Wasteoid passed away, I am not sure of the cause of death. Super unfortunate loss, it's always sad to see any good musician in the the grind scene pass away. You can read a a proper detailed history/obituary of Jeff and Wasteoid on Metalsucks here. R.I.P Jeff.

~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

Interview:Cloud Rat

J. Randall's Grindcore Karaoke netlabel is home to some of the best grind bands out there. For me, one of the standouts is a three piece from Michigan known as Cloud Rat. Their ability to blend of savage grind, bone crushing sludge, and textured (dare I say mellow?) passages has made their "S/T" release a lock for my year end top ten list. I wanted to know more about this group and their guitarist, Rorik, took some time to answer some questions for me via email.

~Marc Sabo

OG: Can you give us a quick band history?

Rorik: Cloud Rat Formed in late December 2009, after our good friend Kevin Kitchel had mentioned that he wanted to put out a Michigan grindcore compilation (never actually happened). One night I was at a party/house show at Madison and Adrian's house, Adrian's band Capacitor (now called OLD SOUL) was playing, and Madison was screaming along in the crowd, and I could hear her loud and clear over everything else. I mentioned to her that we should start a grindcore band and record some songs for this comp, with her singing. Adrian offered to play drums. Adrian and I had been in a grind band together a few years back (Shatner Mask, very obscure, not very good), and at the time her and Adrian were in a serious romantic relationship. Logical. So we got together, and wrote 4 songs in about an hour (Canine, Pillbirth, Mouse Trap, Vain). After 4 or 5 practices we recorded our self titled LP, and since then a lot of really awesome people have helped us along the way, and a lot of crazy things have happened.

OG:Personally, the most interesting thing about Cloud Rat is how you manage to blend the more textured/atmospheric parts with some of the most blistering grind I have heard in a while. Was it a conscious decision to try and merge the two or did it just sort of happen?

Rorik: Our very first practice, we just wanted to write the fastest, most aggressive music that we could. Every practice after that though, all of our other influences started to seep in to the songs. It was a little bit of both actually, because after writing a couple songs that had parts like that and it just happening, we started to talk about it and tried to develop those idea further, something we still do now.

OG: You mentioned your other influences. Now I am curious.

Rorik: Well, we all seem to have some common grind and crust influences, such as Pig Destroyer, Discordance Axis, Dropdead, His Hero Is Gone/Deathreat, etc., and have all dabbled in screamo such as Orchid, Neil Perry, pageninetynine, Funeral Diner, Raein. Apart from that, we all have pretty big tastes in music. Madison is into a lot of new wave / goth, shoegaze, 80's punk, and way more. Adrian is into a lot of electronic/hip hop stuff (Madlib and similar folks) as well as roots in Slayer and black metal. And I personally enjoy a lot of Japanese hardcore, 80's and 90's death metal, folk/singer songwriter stuff, and public radio. Haha. Oh and both Adrian and I love Bruce Springsteen. Madison hates it.

OG: Was there a lyrical theme to S/T?

Rorik: Not really, but in a way, yes. If there was a theme, it was for Madison to write lyrics that were devastating and cathartic. It seems that between the three of us, there are a lot of past issues with physical/mental/emotional abuse, addiction, you name it and we seem to have a common bond somewhere. I still get chills when I read what she wrote and listen to the record, it's kind of painful actually. Other than that, the Hindu and Greek mythology references are just things that we find interesting. In conjunction with the lyrics about abandonment, ugly societal undertones and broken parental figures, I feel like they were pretty effective.

OG: How did you end up working with J Randall and Grindcore Karaoke and what has the experience been like?

Rorik: I checked our email one day, and there was a new one that said basically "Hey, It's J Randall from Agoraphobic Nosebleed. I dig your band, would you like to put out stuff through Grindcore Karaoke?" Needless to say, we were all really stoked. J is an awesome guy and working with GK has been easy and very helpful. I'm terrible at internet stuff, so having that out there helping to promote our music is really nice. We have gotten a lot of positive feedback from listeners from all over the world, which is surreal to me.

OG: What is the scene like in Michigan ?

Rorik: Michigan is a big state with a lot of different scenes. I have been booking shows in Mt Pleasant, MI for about 10 years now, and it has been up and down to say the least. Currently this area is dead, absolutely. I owned and operated a record store / showspace called Justice Records for a couple years up until September of this year. We did shows all the time, but now this town has no showspace and no local punk bands ( Madison lives in Detroit , so we aren't even technically local anymore). However, west Michigan ( Grand Rapids and to a lesser extent Kalamazoo and Muskegon ) has a great punk/metal community with shows happening all the time. Detroit is huge, and kind of disjointed. But it seems like there are always a lot of shows happening there, and there are a lot wonderful people there. Hopefully they can stay up! Like anywhere, the scene here fluctuates all the time. Ups and downs... you know.

OG: Can you tell us more about the Inerds battle set?

Rorik: That took place at the 2nd annual Buffalo Vaggie Fest, a celebration of womyn's involvement in punk music. It was a rad show, super awesome folks. Corey from Inerds got ahold of us about playing, and she was partially involved in setting up the show. The battle set was an idea that we got 2 nights before while on tour in Cleveland . We did the same thing with a band from there called Not My Problem due to time constraints, the show was running super late. It was fun, so we talked about it with our buds in Inerds, and decided it would be a fun thing to do at Vaggie Fest. I don't know how it happened, but the energy in the room was unreal, the video doesn't really seem to quite do it justice. Adrian and Moezes were improvising drums together, Madison, Corey and Jessika were trading the mic, people got buck. It just all felt right, like we were all a part of something bigger than just a floor show/vocal pa/punk fest. Good stuff.

OG: What made you decide to go without a bass player?

Rorik: It was just logical when we started, because we were just writing songs and thats how it was easiest. We make it work. It would probably be easier with a bass player, to have another person helping with gear (I play through two heads and cabs, one being a HUGE sunn 2x15 bass cab, it's dumb), but it works. The three of us have a chemistry that I feel doesn't need another person at this point.

OG: I understand you’re a father? How do you balance the band and raising a kid?

Rorik: Yes, I am the father of a seven year old girl named Lydia . She turns eight in January, so crazy. My life has always been really wild and busy, so it is just natural for me I guess to balance being in bands and hanging with my child. Her mother and I are not together, but we get along well and have joint custody (not through the court, fuck the system!). She was born when I was just about to turn 17. I was playing in metal bands then as well, and had a nasty drug problem already at that age. She pretty much saved my life, I'm sure of it. I guess to answer your question though, I have to be somewhat organized. I am a crane operator and steel fabricator / construction worker, father, and play in two bands that strive to be active (though my other band Under Anchor has slowed down immensely since everyone moved). Can't be a slacker very much! Haha. I have been fortunate in getting along with her mother, and having a mother myself that is supportive of me and my child. When we tour, Lydia goes between her mother and her grandparents and school generally, and I keep in contact with her via phone and now skype. It works nicely.

OG: What’s up next for Cloud Rat?

Rorik: We are writing for a full length LP, hoping to record it in February or March next year. We are doing an 18 day US tour starting December 1st, the dates are up on our blog. Apart from that, we are playing a couple fests in the winter, both benefits for abused womyn's/families organizations, one in Milwaukee in February, and one in Boston in March. Hopefully next spring touring over to the West Coast, summer doing a Canadian tour, and fall doing (fingers crossed) Europe and more international in the future. That's wishful thinking, but we're going to shoot for it. No harm in setting some goals, right?

Thanks again for Rorik for taking time to do the interview! You can check out Cloud Rat at the links below.

www.grindcorekaraoke.com
www.cloudrat.blogspot.com
www.ifbrecords.com

Eddie Brock/Lapse - split Review

Grind.fucking.violence! This awesome split pairs two up and coming Maryland bands for a double heaping helping of head-crushing brutality. These bands were meant to share a split together, it's a beautiful and completely natural sounding pair, just like the two people on the cover(which for some reason reminds me of Nick Cave and PJ Harvey whenever I look at it). First up is 3 tracks from Lapse. They definitely have an eastcoast hardcore sound, mixing in sharp tempo changes, mosh riffs, and gruff powerviolence vocals. The build up to the breakdown in the second track "Trend" is particularly sweet. Minimal blasting, definitely more slam dance friendly, but they don't have a macho/brocore type of vibe. Old-school and new-school powerviolence fans will dig it. Eddie Brock is next, graced with the majesty Scott Hull's mastering skills, making their two tracks sound viciously heavy. These two tracks are brutal, I can only imagine the carnage that must unfold at their live shows. It's definitely more mid-tempo then the self-titled 7" they released earlier this year, but I think the song-writting has become way more refined and memorable because of this, everything just sounds more realized and thought-out. The 7" version of this will be out very soon on To Live a Lie, but you can download the whole thing right now here while you wait for the physical version. Get on it!

Rating: 8.5/10

FFO: Weekend Nachos, Crossed Out

~VII

VII's Recent Purchases(16oh Records)

I made my first purchase from the 16oh Records Big Cartel about a month ago, and had my records arrive yesterday. Normally, I'd be upset by this long wait, but the dude informed me he was in Europe at that time. All good man. For those who don't know, 16oh has released a few Sidetracked records, the Bookburner 7", and In Disgust - "Reality Choke" 10". Super legit. And speaking of In Disgust, I managed to snag this little gem. The In Disgust/Massgrave split 7", 33 RPM, white vinyl.

In Disgust are one of my favorite grind bands, anything I can get from them is a treasure. I've heard their whole discography, and it's all stellar. This recording it definitely rougher, but it still kicks ass. Massgrave are a Canadian crust/grind band and share some members with the might OSK. They've been around for a while and have quite a large discography. I'm normally bored to death by crust, but the grind elements these guys throw in the mix keep it from being a snooze fest.

Next up are a couple records from Hummingbird of Death. I'm trying to get all their releases that I can, and I have a couple more on the way. First is their split 7" with the band Dead Stare, black vinyl, 45 RPM. Good side's from both bands, not much more to say, it's fastcore.

Next one is super! My two favorite fastcore bands, sharing a 6" record together. Dream come true. This came out a year ago on Cowabunga records. Super happy to finally get this.

I'm pretty sure the labels were reversed in a pressing flub, cause the HOD side clearly has 8 songs on it as opposed to 5.

Last one is the Extortion/Rupture split 5", transparent yellow vinyl, 33 RPM. I got this cause 16oh had it for the cheapest price. Everywhere else has is for 6-7 bucks, which is a bit much for a 5" to me. Nice little record, great artwork from Rohan as always, any Extortion record is good to have. Rupture play crust, snooooooore.

~VII

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

Capitalist Casualties/No Comply - split Review

This split is so retro, it would make Chris Dodge feel nostalgic. This could have easily been Six Weeks #14, especially when considering how old these recordings are, resurrected by the great To Live a Lie records and put on wax for the first time. On one side we have a live recording of the legendary Capitalist Casualties from 1994. I've never really been a fan of live recordings, purely because I think they're unnecessary, but the band sounds good and the recording sounds crisp. The vocals sound particularly fierce throughout. There's not a whole lot of crowd noise or breaks between songs, which does kinda take the "live" feel out of it, which I'm perfectly fine with. On the flip side is No Comply with a recording from the 90's intended for a split with Charles Bronson that never came to be. I'm a sucker for drum/bass powerviolence bands, so I was destined to love this band from the start. Great hardcore riffs and weird clean bass playing with a great, tight, fuzzy bass tone and excellent sounding drums to go along with it. The vocals are probably my favorite part of this recording though; spastic and high-pitched, reminiscent of bands like The Locust or their would be split companions Charles Bronson. The last track "Squatter" is one of the catchiest hardcore songs I've heard this year. Buy it here.

Rating: 7/10
FFO: Capitalist Casualties, No Comply (duh)

~VII

Robocop Premier "Psychic Transferal"!

Check out this awesome new Robocop song called "Psychic Transferal" from their upcoming split with Detroit. Here is what Ryan had to say about it:

"This song is about Issei Sagawa, the Japanese murder, cannibal, and food critic. If one takes a Freudian perspective, there is inherently this linkage between sex and death, and I suppose if you've seen Juzo Itami's Tampopo, you can guess where food wedges its way in there. There is also an interest in the possibility of transmitting (transmuting?) knowledge through consumption. Finally there's this thread that runs through the album about hidden codes in language and other forms of communication. In this case there is a sense in which if we find a way to decode this, and commit an act provocative enough it may provide cultural immortality.

The track I've sent is unmastered, but in most respects it is in it's final form."

Listen to Robocop here

~Andrew Lipscomb