Haggus - "Mincecore Until You Die" 5" Lathe Cut (2015) Review

One of my top bands from last year was the unbelievably fun and amazing mincegore band Haggus, from Oakland CA. Although only around for barely two years, Haggus have already recorded dozens of songs and released numerous cassette splits and EP's. All of which are brilliant and highly essential in my opinion. I've been itching to obsessively hoard and collect every release they've done. Like with every mince band I enjoy. I swear it's a curse that these bands are so prolific, but that keeps the fun of the hunt going on. In any case, I was able to finally snag a chunk of their tapes from Mullet Death Records. And also this, the second pressing of the "Mincecore Until You Die" 5" lathe cut. A charming little release that I knew I would have trouble with, but had to own it regardless. This was released on the bands own label, Fuck Your Life Records.

Haggus are a band that is proud to be mincecore as fuck. Fun and greasy to the marrow. Creating a beautiful hybrid of catchy, punky songs, high speed goregrind and brutal imagery. "Mincecore Until You Die" is a tight collection of six songs in their catalog, remastered into a neat little EP. Real banger tracks are on here, all wins no flubs. This would probably be a great thing to show anyone who wants to get into Haggus. The opening track "Accurate Exaggeration" alone pretty much sums up the fun of Haggus in a tight minute. With it's polka beat, memorable stops and powerful blasting. 

The clearly labeled "Second Press" also has a completely different cover then the first. Both were limited to just 50 copies. The thing's also 1-sided to go along with it. I really dig the look of this thing. Going back to what I hinted at earlier about knowing there would be problems with this; lathe cuts have been really tricky for me. They're a gamble no matter how you look at it, and a lot of time the major payoff of having a lathe in aesthetic, not sound quality. Coupled with the fact that my turntable doesn't like playing 5-inch records, I had to do some trickery to finally hear it. I got it played through, and it sounded good. But just mechanically it's not a "throw on and play" record. I just had to have it because it's Haggus and they're too good not to have everything they do. 

Some helpful tips for lathe cuts. I did the old put a penny on the head trick for extra weight. 

A nice little collectors piece from a great band. I hear splits with Archagathus, Lt. Dan and many more are on the way. 

Listen: Here!

~VII

Sedem Minut Strachu - "Overmasonnanizationated Twist" 5" Review

Noisegrind is a curious beast of a genre. You have to weed through a lot of junk bands hiding their obvious lack of talent and effort under the genre's humble characteristics. But finding those little capsules of brilliance among the rubble is so worth it. The newest capsule I am addicted to ingesting is the outstanding Sedem Minut Strachu out of Slovakia. This noisegrind trio has spit out some of the best chaotic jams I heard on tape and lathe in 2014. Everything they've put out thus far has been incredible. Their newest 5" lathe cut record, "Overmasonnanizationated Twist", is yet another brief, but solid addition to their growing discography. Opening up with some treble heavy feedback/vocal garbage and a commanding "get ready to go nuts" drum groove. From then on, SMS go off in their recycled, yet trademark way. The worship of Seven Minutes of Nausea, early Napalm Death and Deche-Charge is obvious, but for dual bass n' drum noisecore, SMS's recording and delivery is remarkably clear. The drums shine through the brightest, holding everything together with tight blasts and remarkably solid improv skills. Every member of this band plays together incredibly well, which is one of their best characteristics. And maybe the most important of any band of this style really. Even at full blast, when every member is just playing whatever-the-fuck, it all sounds cohesive and layered perfectly. Full blasting all over side A until a noise loop transitions over to side B. Total blasting and some bass feedback interplay. Grunting, belching, rumbling brutality, eventually exhausting itself into a slow diminuendo into harmonica and the same vocal nuttiness that opened the EP up. At under 3 minutes "Overmasonnanizationated Twist" is painfully short. But it shos Sedem Minut Strachu toying with some new sounds and ideas, which I am eager to see them venture into more. Another successful racket!

~VII