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Be careful not to go all Syd with all this freak out music

Gorse - Bovine Soul

Gorse come across like an English AmRep band with some heavy stoner thrown in for good measure. There are plenty of heavy riffs and bursts of noise rock to get your teeth into and lurking in the sonic background are some nice psychedelic guitar bursts. Vocals are all very David Yow - no complaints from me on that score - and blend seamlessly with the song arrangements.

The songs are not just one idea, churned out 10 times to make an album but all have a strong riffs or arrangements to give identity to. This has a great thick bass tone and crisp heavy drums to anchor things down, making sure the guitar can wander about with bursts of distortion and fretboard abuse without losing the feel.

Listen

Band info

CombatWoundedVeteran - This Is Not An All Erect, All-Red Neon Body

Grind, punk, hardcore, post hardcore. These are all things you can find in this record. The best way I could describe CombatWoundedVeteran is this - imagine if Fall Of Troy were less melodic, used samples and got through their songs a lot quicker and somehow more fast paced. Like they listened to loads of powerviolence all of the time or something and somehow Goatlord was the vocalist. But they kept the song titles.

It's been a while since I've had this on but I've really been enjoying it lately. Definitely worth checking out of you aren't familiar.

Also comes in Red, Orange and Fuck You.

Slipknot - Mate. Feed. Kill. Repeat.

Even if you're too kvlt or elite to enjoy modern Slipknot, you should check this album out if you're into heavy music with an alt rock twist (for example, if you like Mike Patton's work, Mr Bungle 'clone' bands a la Dog Fashion Disco and Tub Ring, or the heavier end of alt rock like some Tom Waits, Primus, Ween, etc.) or anything that's just a bit different.

Before the height of nu metal (when the aforementioned bands were king) a little known Iowan nontet (is that the right word?) by the name of Slipknot self-released a limited run of 1000 copies of this demo album. Obviously since their explosion into the mainstream with their next release, the self-titled 'Slipknot' in 1999 with the lineup everyone knows and loves (or hates), this has become quite a sought after little gem.

As I said, the lineup is a little different, most notably Corey Taylor was not yet in the band, and front vocals were handled by one Anders 'Stupid Stage Name' Colsefni. He doesn't have the raw talent that Taylor does but does have a more abrasive, "angry bald-sounding dude" style, which I know plenty of you may prefer!

Musically this release nods to the bands mentioned previously, but with a more straight up heavy angle. For example, you might listen to album-closer (and hidden track) Dogfish Rising and say "boy howdy this sounds like a more heavier Ween" if your grammar is particularly bad. There's also a bit of Bunglesque genre-hopping on tracks like Do Nothing/Bitchslap, and a jazzy/surfy influence behind tracks like Confessions. Speaking of which, that track contains the best bass work I've ever heard from Paul Gray (RIP), a man who was clearly far better than he let himself get away with in later Slipknot tunes. Downloading the entire album is worth it to hear that bassline alone.

For the record, I do like 'Slipknot' and 'Iowa' (nearly all of the songs from this release were re-worked, some beyond recognition, for those two albums) but find their latest two albums too radio rock for my tastes.

Give old 'Knot a chance.

Psychedelic Guru - Psychedelic Meditations (2010)

After the Earthless post, only an idiot would try to match the incomparable majesty of "Sonic Prayer" but I shall try to at least come close. ZoZo))) wanted riffs at to be at least 22 minutes long - how does 36 minutes sound? Rather than give my own description, here is their blurb off their Bandcamp page:

35 minutes of non-stop psychedelic guitar solos.
Recommended if you like; Jimi Hendrix, Frank Zappa, John Frusciante, Omar

Rodriguez-Lopez, and LONG guitar solos.

2 different improvised solos play simultaneously, panned left and right.

Unedited and uncut. Light up, sit back, relax, and enjoy the meditation. WARNING: For psychedelic guitar fans ONLY.
If you're not one, then your time will be better spent elsewhere.

Listen

Free download from Bandcamp and other albums

Earthless - Sonic Prayer

Ask and ye shall receive word nerd; here is one of my favourite weirdie beardie avant psych albums.

Two tracks at just over 20 minutes each of thick, drugged out, fuzzed out stoner/space/psychedelic rock from genre titans Earthless. The first track - the unfuckingreal Flower Travellin' Man - you may recognise from Such Hawks Such Hounds.

I love it when a killer riff lasts forever.

Backjumper - Across The Deadline

Band request from Italy.

I am not always in the mood for metal-core but when I am, Backjumper ticks all the right boxes. Mixing up elements of thrash and modern hardcore, the sound is thick and powerful with a good feel of groove and urgency. Lots of lightning fast guitar riffs are on show and the band have masterful technique and skill.

Vocal are delivered with growls or screams and mesh really well with all the instruments. The production is top-notch and pushes every level up to make all the songs sound massive and intense. This would probably appeal to people into The Black Dahlia Murder or possibly 36 Crazyfists.

Listen

Free Download link

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Pig Destroyer/Miles Davis

Having suddenly been captured by the terrifying beauty of Grind, I wanted to post something but hesitated because I am still exploring various bands and I would hate to put up an album that everyone else more knowledgeable than me hates or will deride as being an awful example.

Looking through the Pig Destroyer releases, I was interested by "Natasha" - a 35 minute track of slow doom, laden with atmospherics, sounding more like Godflesh or early Melvins rather than the grind they are known for. Hearing voices and music in my head constantly might make my mental breakdowns a strain on my life but this time it has worked to my advantage - I could hear that the Miles Davis track "Gondwana" was at the right speed to overdub in places on top of the Pig Destroyer track.

I give you one epic track of grindjazz.

Experimental? ....... Maybe.

Easy listening? ....... I hope not.

Challenge your ears!

Bad Brains - S/T (1982)

This is not what I had planned to post today but when I played it this morning, the urge to drive like an extra from Mad Max and shout a lot took me over.

Classic punk/hardcore from Washington DC which incorporated speed-metal riffs, biting vocals and lyrics, punk-dub rhythms which paved the way for countless other bands and arguably helped to pioneer American hardcore as we know it.

Listen

Shame on you if you need Band Info!

CABROCORDERO - Namastie Qoh

Finally an album from me that isn't grind or punk. Cabrocordero are a 2 piece sludge band from Argentina. We featured their debut record over at VDO and now we have the most recent full length here. They have definitely grown as a band since their last offering. The songs sound much more thought out and are amazingly produced. This probably due to the fact that the man sitting behind this desk is Topo Armetta (Dragonauta, 8 Hands for Kali, Los Natas.) Reminds me of early Big Business and Bison BC. Well worth a listen.

Smoke it

M.E.H - Song Titles Are For Assholes III

Another Song Titles Are For Assholes from one of my favourite grind outfits M.E.H. Probably one of the bands to contribute to us the most over at VDO. Hopefully that won't stop now we've moved house.
As to tempt you in here is the usual genius example lyric "Animal are people too
Well I say Boo fucking Hoo! Cry about the cows some more asshole. And in the meantime give a steak medium rare. FUCK VEGAN GUILT!"

I love steaks and I love this band.

Eat some steaks

Interlard - Gland

We have a new submission from old VDO favourites Interlard.

If you aren't familiar with this group, I would best describe their stuff as harsh noise/power electronics with heavy industrial overtones. And it sounds fucking great, if you're into that sort of thing.

New EP 'Gland' is a 4 track affair, clocking in at 17 and a half minutes. Easily worth your time if you've never checked them out before. Track 2 is even called Piss so I can only assume they derived a little inspiration from myself and ZoSo)))'s own power electronics project ;)

Their sound typically utilises heavy rhythmic percussion, often quite tribal-sounding, providing a tension-building beat beneath an abrasive and constant wall of noise. This EP is no exception. Reminds me of a 'listener-friendly' version of Brutally Analysed from their earlier effort; 'Scrape'.

Get this from Milk Kitten here, give them some money for it if you like, they certainly deserve it.

Sylvester Staline - Gonna Spread Hard Drugs To Your Stupid Kids With The Royalties Generated By This CD

Amazing Powerviolence/fastcore from France. Seen on various splits with some pretty big bands in the genre, Magrugergrind, FUBAR, Joe Pesci and Fuck the Facts to name but a few.
Exactly what you'd expect to hear.

Put your feet in the air
Buy it (it's for a good cause)

Flux Of Pink Indians - The Fucking Cunts Treat Us Like Pricks (1984)

1984 and the UK was in the grip of Thatcher, the war of attrition with the miners and the nation was being drip-fed mind numbing music by Frankie, Duran Duran, Style Council and Nik fucking Kershaw. With 4 sides of feedback and fury, Flux Of Pink Indians - along with the other Crass type bands were providing me with an alternative national anthem.

This is pretty basic stuff as the message was more important than the musicianship but there is still a head aching mix of anarcho punk/thrash with some sparse Fall-type rhythms intermingled with multi-layered snippets of radio/tv/adverts/piano riffs underneath the shouting/yelling and stop-start intros with feedback filling every empty space. Oh yeah, the cover was also banned from every major retailer.

We mean it, maaan!

Band Info

The Locust - Plague Soundscapes

Today's grind classic is The Locust's 'Plague Soundscapes'. Anyone that knows this band (or any of bassist/vocalist Justin Pearson's work for that matter) knows that this is an intense, schizophrenic affair, eschewing rhythmic time signatures in favour of making the songs more interesting. Best in their class these boys.

Eee yous have got some mad song titles lads.

Agoraphobic Nosebleed - PCP Torpedo

Another day, another grind classic. Another from Scott Hull too. ANb are one of the most intense bands on the planet, and this album is no exception. 10 tracks in 10 minutes. If you have a small child, play this album to it - I have it on good authority that the child's face will actually melt.

Also includes the 'ANBRX' disc - remixes of the album from the likes of Drokz, Tailz, Justin Broadrick, Merzbow and plenty others. Not bad - but nowhere near as good as '...Torpedo'.

Melt a small child's face now.

Leviathan - True Traitor, True Whore

Mr Whitehead is angry at his woman. He supposedly gave her a beatdown and raped her with tattoo equipment. I don't know man. Either way it's fueled something beautiful in the form of this album.

Massive conspiracy against all wives
(cheers to LordOvDarkness for the link)

The Afternoon Gentlemen - White Cider Chronicles II, The Joogle Diaries

Always backed these guys over at VDO and I won't be stopping now we've moved. This is a collection of 34 brilliant tracks (my favourite being rusty axe through aaron turners head.) There are also some live versions of some classics on there for you. Wasn't that nice of them? True gentlemen.

Get pissed

Pizza Hi-Five/Infernal Stronghold Split

It's been a while since I've been really impressed by one of these splits. But finally I have been satisfied to the extent of sharing this one with you guys.

First up on the split we have 3 tracks from Philadelphia's own Infernal Stronghold. I would describe them as blackened thrash. Definitely a band I would love to see live.
Next is 8 very quick tracks from the always magnificent grind outfit Pizza Hi-Five.

Not that it's a contest or anything, but Infernal Stronghold really shone on this. Maybe it's because I'd never heard them prior or something.

Melt your face

Psycho - Self Titled 7"

Psycho are one of the original crossover bands. They formed in 1982 in Boston. Sadly they have been majorly overlooked due to bands such as Suicidal Tendencies, Cryptic Slaughter and other big hitters. For me, Psycho do it better than most. It sounds like GG Allin is singing for Slayer.

Unfortunately this is only 4 short songs (one of them being a GG cover, coincidentally) but they are all pretty special.

Legalize Murder
Buy it

Guitar Wolf - Planet of the Wolves (1997)

Fuzz pedals turned up to 10? - oh yes.

Guitars louder than everything else? - of course.

Frenzied, unintelligible vocals which might be Japanese or English? - check.

Dirtier and grittier than most modern garage bands, Guitar Wolf combine the sonics of the MC5, the rock'n'roll of Link Wray and the punk power of early Stooges.

悪妻は百年の不作

Årabrot - Solar Anus (2011)

This was produced by Steve Albini and has all his trademarks - loud, abrasive and live sounding.

Årabrot mix up Jesus Lizard type song structures with Melvins style sludge and then stomp over everything with lashings of hardcore.

The vocals range from throat shredding bellowing to screaming and doomy growls and they sit upon a ferocious rhythm section that pound and crash inside your ears.

The guitars are heavy and distorted and lead the songs with off-kilter riffs that seem on the verge of imploding into sonic chaos but always deliver a tune that makes me want to pick up a knife and start stabbing strangers.

Listen

Buy from their website

Hawk Eyes - New Track

So Hawk Eyes (previously chickenhawk) have put up a new track from their forthcoming EP up for streaming on their bandcamp page. See what you think.

Somebody has been to the recent Melvins gig in Leeds, methinks.

Makoto Kawabata - AMT CD 001

This is from the Acid Mothers Temple Gold Disc series and finds the

AMT leader, Makato Kawabata in solo mode with two long tracks of

improvised guitar explorations.

Lots of drones, multi layered reverb, distortion, feedback and drifting

harmonics. Unlike, say, Merzbow - these tracks are quite tuneful in their

direction and have an ambient feel that really engages.

In the film "2001", there are several long passages with a choir producing

these eerie moans and groans and Kawabata has massed his guitars to sound

like this - in my head anyway! - in fact, this could be a soundtrack to a battered

old hulk of a space freighter, slowly drifting and slowly breaking up as it gets

pulled into a black hole at the end of the universe.

Listen

Tom Waits - Mule Variations

It's no secret that I'm a huge Tom Waits fan, and this record is both critically and personally to me one of his best. Perhaps it's no coincidence that my favourite track; album opener 'Big in Japan', features none other than Primus as the backing band.

This release is arguably his first to demonstrate the somewhat experimental, alt-rock sound that he has stuck with, and consistently improved upon ever since.

I'm not really sure what else to say about it as the man's material speaks for itself. I can't even think of anything funny to say about it.

So I'll shut up while you listen for yourself.

Mr Bungle - California

Mr Bungle's fantastic opus. I'm sure I don't really need to introduce these guys but apparently I'm going to anyway.

Mr Bungle were sort of retroactively brought into the limelight after vocalist Mike Patton got the gig with Faith No More (after FNM guitarist Jim Martin heard Patton's vocal work on the Bungle demos no less). Although throughout their time together, Bungle had a few varying lineups, constant members Trey Spruance (guitar) and Trevor Dunn (bass) are amongst the names you'd probably recognise for their continued work in the alternative/jazz/world music/rock/metal/genre-hopping madness...uh, scene?

Speaking of their genre-hopping ways, this album is a lot less freeform than predecessor Disco Volante, and as such is many peoples' favourite Bungle album. Although the wildly varied influences are still present, they are much more reined in and integrated in the song structures, as opposed to Volante's tendency to erratically switch between them several times in one song. Impressive, but a bit too much for the casual listener, whereas in all honesty, you could probably play this album to your elderly white haired mother. Well, maybe.

The album is titled as such due to some beef with the Red Hot Chili Peppers (whose album Californication came out in 1999, the same year) due to Anthony Kiedis supposedly demanding Bungle be removed from several European festival lineups or he would take his band-shaped ball home back to LA and probably just have sex with some heroin or whatever. Turns out this childish move was due to the fact that he believed Bungle had ripped off the Chilis, despite actually running rings around them in terms of musical ability and composition. Compare your favourite RHCP song to 'Goodbye Sober Day' and try to come up with a valid reason why Patton and co shouldn't have got Kiedis' junkie ass dropped from festival season instead.

Bass solo brodown

Backchat EP (2011)

Band request from the Ukraine.

This is my first request review for Throat but at BIL, I get a fair amount

sent to me and some of them are barely above rehearsal tape quality -

why sent out an average demo - what kind of review do you think you

will get back?

But ...... this is the real deal - pissed off hardcore punk that kicks you in

the nuts and runs off with your beer.

Sounding like Coliseum covering Converge songs with a touch of early

Motorhead, the three songs on this EP are short, sharp shocks of aggression.

The production is massive sounding, the drums in particular have a sound

that a lot more famous bands would kill for.

I just hope these guys get a change to record a full length album someday

because their songs deserve it.

Listen

Free download from Bandcamp

Backchat Blog

Arts - Vault Of Heaven

Mark McCoy of excellent projects such as Ancestors and Charles Bronson has now turned his hand to raw USBM under the guise of Arts. It's a pretty good record. Definitely worth checking out if you're into that sort of thing.

Yes, I am into that sort of thing.
No, I am not into that sort of thing.

Choose wisely.

Allman Brothers Band - Idlewild South

We never had any Allman Brothers on VDO (I think, no way of knowing now) and I think that was a shame. So I'm getting this one in early to make sure. I know this is the more radio friendly second album, but I love it all the same.

Enjoy some classic sounds

Melvins - (a) Senile Animal

We were supposed to be going to see Melvins tonight. But because the driver had double booked to go and see James on the same night (fucking JAMES..."whoah sit down next to me" James, fucking horseshit) we are instead just going to sit huddled, crying over pictures of Dale Crover while Colossus of Destiny plays in it's entirety repeatedly in the background. Probably. Well I know I am.

This is the first album they released with Jared and Coady from Big Business, and in all honesty is probably my favourite Melvins release of all time. As quirky as is traditional for this band, the songs are all still catchy as hell, and the album is pretty much riff after riff after riff. The dual-vocals of Buzz and Jared make for some awesome strained-sounding harmonies, whilst Dale and Coady's double-drumming really adds whole new dimensions to tracks like 'A History of Bad Men' - my favourite of the record. I'd recommend this to newcomers and veterans of Melvins fandom alike.

I'd also recommend fans of fucking James give it a listen and get a clue.

How can we please you?

Everybody loves a good poll. I bet you haven't done one in years. Go on...

Country Joe & The Fish - Electric Music For The Mind And Body

I was turned onto Country Joe McDonald and his musical genius by a friend in a local pub around a year ago. I promptly got the entire back catalogue of Country Joe and the Fish and was taken in. At the time I guess it would have been called Acid Rock by people who had never taken acid before. I'm not saying there was no acid consumption, mind you. What we now know as Psychedelic Rock is exactly this record. None of the folkier stuff that goes along with Mr McDonald, just 11 tracks of Psych/Garage goodness. Well maybe SOME folk. Geez.

Close your eyes, pretend you've just been drafted to 'nam, light up something nice for your lungs and hate the government.

Here

Les Claypool - Of Fungi And Foe

To kick things off I'm gonna post Les' second and most recent solo effort. I prefer this album over Of Whales And Woe, the songs are arranged more interestingly, though that's not to say 'Whales...' is dull in the slightest. If you've heard the new Primus effort and how it's style is somewhat darker than their pre-reformation releases, you'll find the seeds of said style sown on this album.

'Bite Out Of Life' is the stand out tune for me, the manic vocal stylings of Gogol Bordello's Eugene Hutz play off well against Les' more driven approach, whilst musically it's one of the quicker numbers. It makes me like to imagine I'm going mental at some sort of barn dance/people weeing on each other party while they perform the song live and I'm like 3 feet from the stage and Hutz is getting all up on the speakers and shit, maybe weeing on somebody (not me, I'm not there for the wee party).

Also the other songs are good. The tracks Les composed for the Mushroom Men games and Pig Hunt make an appearance too.

Funkus

From The Ashes

Much akin to legendary masters of excess Keith Richards, Nikki Sixx, Slash and the proverbial phoenix, we have risen from the dead within moments. We are undying, on a never ending journey to provide music to the masses. Kind of like this video demonstrates -

- only with fewer primary colours, J-pop loops and epileptic fits.

Following Veins Dried Out's (mo' like Veins Died Out...amiright?) brutal assassination at the hands of "the man" we bring you the next chapter in Throat Burned Out, featuring new team member Tony Maim of the brilliant Black Insect Laughter joining myself, ZoSo))) and Goatlord in a more streamlined contributory membership. Welcome to the ranks Tony!

NB If any old contributors from VDO want to return to the team just get in touch if you want back in, but please post more often if you come back. We're trying to do this with a renewed vigour to avoid the pretty much fizzled out demise of VDO repeating itself here at TBO cheers!

Dub Trio - IV

New release from these guitar terrorists.

This seems a lot heavier than "Another Sound is Dying" but

as always with this group, you know that your ears are

going to be taken on a sonic trip.

Underneath the heaviness, there are subtle changes that

occur throughout the songs that bear repeated listens.

The trademark dubby bass and echo snare drums are evident

but the guitars are really the dominant force when played.

The sound which sometimes drops down to a sparse arrangement

give the riffing and solos space to wander to fuck knows where but

they are always pulled back into a crunching beat.

Listen

RIP

Let's take a moment to remember those brilliant blogs that have been hunted down and lynched over the past year or so. Bad Year Media, Lucidmedia, Mercenario, The Worried Well (also The Noble Timbre for a short time), RTM and many many more. We had a good stint at VDO, yes our posts had reduced down to nothing more than a trickle similar to a piss that you didn't really need, but this has pissed me off to want to get going properly again.

Immortal Technique - The Martyr

This is the latest mixtape to drop from the ever increasingly brilliant Immortal Technique. If you aren't familiar with his previous works then this is as good a place to start as any other. Politically fueled lyrics from one of the smartest MCs to have ever existed. And he practices what he preaches too, he has been spotted at the Occupy Wall Street protests that are still ongoing. Grab it here