This Is Menace - The Scene Is Dead

For those unfamiliar, This Is Menace are a hardcore band formed by Mark Clayden and Jason Bowld after the dissolution of their previous band; industrial legends Pitchshifter. Their shtick is that they have a fuck-ton of vocalists, mostly from other bands within the UK alternative scene, each adding their own flavour to each song. This album features Jeff Walker, Barney Greenway, Paul Catten, Mikee Goodman, Jaz Coleman, JS Clayden and plenty more, I'm sure you know how to use Wikipedia if you must know more. Perhaps most surprisingly is Charlie from Busted's song (yes, he is on a song) is actually awesome, as is his vocal delivery. He has failed to do anything good ever again since.

Oh yeah, the last track is also musically identical to Charlie's, but with different lyrics and vocals. Lazy fuckers.

Don't they all just sound so angry? No wonder the kids these days are smashing the streets up and pinching value basmati rice from Tesco.

Cynarae - S/T (2011)

I have seen this all over the place today and decided to give it a listen. I have been rewarded with a gigantic slab of aggression that pummels you into submission. Cynarae are described as mixing up hardcore, powerviolence and grindcore but as I have no real idea about the last two genres, my own ramblings will have to suffice.

This is big and brutal - mostly of a thick, intense filthy hardcore that combines Trap Them with Converge to give the songs a massively heavy sound with an unrelenting barrage of sound and fury. If that ain't enough to get you listening, meh!

Listen

They are good guys as well - Free Bandcamp download

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.

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Shame on you if you need Band Info!

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

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

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