LES PIERRES

The same tape that gave me (and you) the glorious BLACK DEATH demo a couple of weeks back offers up this live set from the little known LES PIERRES. A raucous set from 1981 featuring teenage vocals and blown out recording - this is the shit that keeps you stopping by, right? Random recordings of first rate punk from second rate and under appreciated bands? Yeah, we got that. There are really good UK punk jams in this post - though admittedly some of them are buried under poor live sound. Amazing to think that this shit is 30 years old...when LES PIERRES started playing shows, even rock 'n roll wasn't yet 30 years old. But never mind the quality of this post - just think about the fact that when punk started, rock music was not as old as Punk is today - and yet people still flock to, attempt to recreate (and listen to) Punk music while constantly trying to reinvent rock music in the form of something interesting...something like Punk. Therefore, I contend that Punk is better than rock n roll, even though I know that they are basically different manifestations of the same music (and yeah, I know I capitalized "punk"). But really, my (belated) point is: where the fuck else are you going to download three decades old live tapes from random bands and read the pretentious ramblings presented under the guise of information and/or context? Exactly...nowhere. So I guess I'll see you tomorrow -  and the "Follow" button assuages my ego, while comments make me feel like all this drunken typing serves a purpose. Just so you know.

LES PIERRES

SOSPECHOSOS

Absolutely fukkn killer reverbed hardcore from south Chicago. Every song is fast and catchy as hell, taking cues from '80s Spanish hardcore and a certain DIY band that played a lot in their home town in the '90s. SIN ORDEN personnel involved here, so it should come as no surprise that SOSPECHOSOS are great, but I was still taken aback when I pressed play and that frustrated guitar shot into my earholes. Sadly, you'll only be able to click, and will miss out on the satisfying mechanical clunk and whir as the rollers start spinning, magically bringing the punk to you from a strip of processed petroleum through a maze of wires and transistors and amplifiers and magnets. It's a wonderful, wonderful thing.

SOSPECHOSOS

FOSSIL FUEL

I cannot express how essential this 1994 cassette only release is. FOSSIL FUEL were a studio only (or bedroom exclusively) SOCKEYE side project, and this 60 minute tape is nothing but pure Midwest drunken brilliance. Take teen angst, adolescent innocence and a brain treated by electro shock therapy and inject the perspective that can only come from adults who should know better - but don't. Total genius in the form of songs like "Weather Will Fuck You Up," "Alternative Kids Get Dead," "Michigan Is Shaped Retarded," and "Steal Your Face What" compliment works of lyrical genius that have rarely been equalled and never topped: "The 12 Step Program you're a dick // The 12 Step Program you're fucked unless you follow it now // The 18th step is to erase your nuts // Go and get killed you satanic motherfucker // You're gonna have an upinverted (sic) pentagram on your fukkn nuthole. " Yeah, I told you the shit rules - now download this immediately and get ready to go to school.

KICKBOY FACE

For those of you who missed this crew on their first visit to Terminal Escape. please revisit the ASS Clean As A Butt demo. More of the same irreverent nonsense...the fact that this can somehow qualify as music is one of the many reasons that I still love (and will always love) punk.

ICONOCLAST

To those familiar with the three best known bands named ICONOCLAST, it should be obvious that this is the Japanese one. In 1993, when most of the US and Europe were trying to figure out what the rules for the next wave of punk were going to be, Japan had already spent half a decade honing in on the precise sounds that would distinguish that island's versions of crust and hardcore for the next two decades...this is the crust version. A rampaging assault with generous Swedish lead leanings and anguished vocals cries - every bit as essential as their EP on Blurred the following year. One side studio, the flip live from Huck Finn in Nagoya (though the quality is nearly as good as the studio side), and released in a run of just 200 copies with two stickers that have somehow managed survive the last 18 years. Guitars compressed to digitally crunched oblivion, fists flying through the air...perfection.

DEMO // LIVE

SUCKED DRY

I like hardcore, and within the realm of hardcore, SUCKED DRY are really fukkn good. Seriously, the slow part in "Human Smoke Stacks" is simple but astounding, and you are going to love it. Total rage in 423 seconds or less.

SUCKED DRY

GRABACIONES ENCONTRADAS

A friend of The Escape just bestowed a killer handful of loaners on me, given to him by family members upon their return from a vacation to Spain. The story goes: mom is in Barcelona, walks into a record store, tells the folks at the store that her son is into punk and asks do they have any local punk stuff. That's a pretty cool mom, and a grip of '80s Spanish bootleg cassettes was the result. This mix tape is a collection of classic early Spanish punk releases, so I'll just tell you that you need these songs in your life instead of describing what they all sound like. They all sound good. Enjoy.

GRABACIONES ENCONTRADAS

- ESPASMODICOS -

Recomendado Para Molestar A Su Vecino EP (1982)

Espasmodicos mini LP (1983)

tracks from Punk, Que Punk? comp (1983)

- KANGRENA - 

Terrorismo Sonoro EP (1983)

- BARRICADA -

live tracks, 198?

- LARSEN -

No  12" EP 1983

El Payaso/Requiem 45 (1984)

- VULPESS -

Me Gusta Ser Una Zorra/Inkisicion 45 (1983)

- G.R.B. - 

G.R.B. EP (1986) 

HESITATION WOUNDS

I know that when I spent a week posting Bay Area demos earlier this month I might have mentioned that a couple of bands were the best band in town. Well, they still are, but so are HESITATION WOULNDS. Let me explain...PERMANENT RUIN are mostly from San Jose (that's South Bay), NOSE DIVE are mostly from San Francisco (that's West Bay), and HESITATION WOUNDS are mostly from Oakland (that's Easy Bay). See, they can all be the best. There are other bands that are the best also, but for now we will just deal with this one...fast, tight, distorted, insane riffs, best guitar sound ever, drummer does things with his snare hand that should be illegal. I guess I could say that this is the evolution of fastcore, but that would be an insult when leveled at this mania - just insanely good hardcore. I have only seen them once...and I need to see them again.

HESITATION WOUNDS

BITE ITSELF // SELF COM

It's been nearly a year since I first heard SELF COM, but I devour everything I can get my hands (and ears on). His sounds are mesmerizing, simple, and utterly brilliant. This time around I had to endure one 9 minute track from BITE ITSELF before I could hear the new songs, but it was torture of the most glorious sort. "Hotel Abyss" could exist as the soundtrack for a short horror film, or as a singular piece of minimal brilliance...these are all sounds that I have heard before, but never in this context and never sounding this harsh or intimidating. SELF COM do not disappoint - dark droning synth with politely tortured vocals. "Dead Space" is as simple four notes on repeat, yet somehow it envelops you, while "I'm A Man" realizes a dark vibe that Vega and Rev could only have dreamed of when composing  pretentious synth driven no wave sounds 30 years ago. I like those pretentious synth driven sounds, but this tape achieves something other worldly. This comes from Casual Men.

BITE ITSELF // SELF COM

G.I.+THE IDIOTS

GEORGE IMBECILE AND THE IDIOTS could have shared stages with any number of high profile '80s hardcore bands - the irreverent approach utilized by bands like THE STUPIDS, ADRENALINE O.D. and DEAD KENNEDYS shines on this 1986 release. "This Time For Real" and "Bury Yourself" are legit scorchers with shrill teenage vocals (and an occasional shrill trumpet), while "Nine Years In Service" combines that manic chaotic thrash attack with a warped guitar that modern day noise punks would die for. Most of the tape falls basically in line with the feisty skate punk of the era - not taking themselves too seriously but clearly serious about partying hard and playing fast. Listen to "Uncivilized" - a perfect marriage of snotty US hardcore and driving UK82 punk...and the guitar intro is absolutely unparalleled. But G.I.+THE IDIOTS were from Philippines, so they never shared a stage with JFA or DESCENDENTS, even though they were more than worthy.

FASCINATING WORLD OF GARBAGE

JAPANESE WOMEN

The name of this band is sure to result in some unintended traffic to this blog (currently, several visitors a day find their way to a treasure trove of punk cassette downloads by entering the search terms WOMEN IN PRISON and SEX PRISONER), but hopefully those pervs who find their way here will stick around and listen to some seriously deranged jams from Alabama's JAPANESE WOMEN. Plodding and deliberate noisy hardcore with sinister vocals that put them in line with the world of punk bands that people seem to think are primitive black metal bands because they sound evil. This is mid tempo damage of the highest caliber, courtesy of Tapes Of A Neon God.

ORDER

SELFISH//FORCA MACABRA

Not much should need to be said here, two of Finland's most notorious exports on one split live cassette. Both bands shamelessly and brilliantly ape styles made famous by scenes in countries far from Scandinavia: SELFISH dish out a masterful version of late '80s/early '90s Japanese hardcore made famous by bands often tagged with the "Burning Spirits" descriptor, while FORCA MACABRA perfectly imitate '80s Brasilian thrash metal (so perfectly that their live set descends into drunken guitar wankery about 2/3 of the way through the set, listen to "Cavaleiro Negro" for proof). SELFISH tracks were recorded in Philadelphia in 2002, while FORCA MACABRA's side comes from a performance the following year in Tornio. Both singers are superb (think Ishiya/DEATH SIDE for the Japanese model, and LOBOTOMIA for the South American version - if you're planning to copy a style, then at least shoot for the top, right?), and both bands rip, but you should have already known that.

SELFISH//FORCA MACABRA

This split is on its second run, you can get your own copy from: chaosnonmusica(at)gmail(dot)com

GROANING GROOVE // RINTO

After a three minute buildup filled with tense anticipation, GROANING GROOVE explode into manic and distinctly Japanese fast garage hardcore, not unlike the fastcore elements the BREAKfAST bring into their mix. The singer sounds like a tight pants hip swiveling tart gone horribly wrong (trying to shove cock rock snarls through a mouthful of marbles will do that) and the guitarist has spent plenty of time at The Altar Ov Ginn. RINTO pull pages from the same book, but take a more deliberate approach to combining smart, slick and snarky garage rock with hi energy punk - but the guitars are still too weird to classify this as anything but hardcore in my book. Two songs from RINTO, three from GROANING GROOVE, released in 2006.

NOISEX

NOTHING TO LOSE BUT OUR CHAINS

Late '80s UK comp benefitting Anarchist Black Cross (did you ever wonder how much money a $2 cassette comp could actually raise to benefit any cause?) and featuring a few tracks from a few really good bands. This D90 starts with INTERNAL AUTONOMY (who contribute four of the best songs on the tape) playing a genuinely weird sax and keyboard fronted number before HERB GARDEN launches into one of the few hardcore songs included. Reverbed dub (TOTTENHAM AK47s, CITIZEN FISH), classic UK punk (THOUGHT POLICE), proto industrial punk (K.Y.J., PLUG, SLOWJAM) are all represented, while POLITICAL ASYLUM, MORTIFIED and EMBITTERED provide other highlights. There are a couple of turds, to be sure, but that's to be expected on a 90 minute tape.

NOTHING TO LOSE...BUT OUR CHAINS

SNOB VALUE

Full throttle '80s hardcore worship from a bunch of Germans? Yeah, I'll take that. SNOB VALUE have done their research, taking snotty irreverent punk and joining it with the fury of hardcore delivery - a winning combination already tested by REGULATIONS and the like, but done here with a little more panache. This cassette version of their 2009 EP released by Access Denied features nine songs in just over ten minutes, the guitar leads will try to steal your attention from the warbly LA circa 1982 vocals and then "Your Burial, My Fun" kicks in with a lick straight out of SAHARA HOT NIGHTS. Don't tell the punks I said that.

SNOB VALUE

BLACK DEATH

How many bands must have called themsleves BLACK DEATH? This one hailed from Reading, England and cranked out a super UK punk demo in 1980 before coming to a premature end. I say premature because these tracks are subtly amazing, and I would have loved to have more than just four songs to uncover on this two hour mix tape of early Reading demos and live sets. After the 5+ minute "Micro Chip" comes to an end, the bass starts hinting at the mysterious would be classic that might be right around the corner, and then "Alien Invasion" is exactly that, but "Street Fear" is among the most brilliant unknown UK punk burners I've ever heard, almost straddling the NWOBHM line, even if accidentally. If this track had made it to wax, I have no doubt that it would be an insanely sought after piece of UK punk history. This band was way more mature than most in their approach to writing, and more accomplished than most in their ability to translate those compositions to tape. One raucous and marginally in tune live number, and that's all that I can find from BLACK DEATH, except that they became ZEROX II after switching vocalists. Great fukkn stuff.

BLACK DEATH

OSMANTIKOS

I made the trek to Oakland last night to see ALPINIST and MASAKARI level a filthy warehouse, and even the mid show appearance of my least favorite Bay Area pit dick couldn't dampen my mood. Simply crushing displays from both bands, and it reminded me that I've been meaning to post this Malaysian gem for a while. The Dare To Rise cassette EP from 2010 takes obvious cues from mid '00s American melodic hardcore/crust and adds relentless fury and intensity to the assault. Generous attention is paid to the low end of the register, and the vocalist(s) have clearly spent their spare time snuggling up close to HHIG and FAR records. But OSMANTIKOS do not sound even remotely like a rehash of old sounds, rather they have used those sounds as a framework for creating their own. This, and a new EP, are available from Bullwhip if you feel like supporting the scene - but even if you just listen, this is devastating. I welcome a new wave of bulldozer crust coming to level us all soon.

DARE TO RISE

CERVIX

One more installment from these New York noise dealers, this one a cassette-ography of sorts compiling their two previous demos and their new EP on Video Disease. The four new tracks from the EP are the realization of the sound that their tape releases have hinted at - manic vocals howled in desperation over desperate and distorted hardcore. They do it right, and they do so with determination - 20 tracks here in total - enough to get you completely up to date.

LIFE FUCKER

available in actual, physical vinyl form:

www.videodiseaserecords.com

or archaic but strangely hip cassette form:

www.ifbrecords.com

NOSE DIVE

NOSE DIVE have been around for nearly a year, but I've yet to see them play...that fact is made all the more saddening after listening to Black Cloud. Stripped and infectious hardcore, tough as hell but not even remotely aggro - you get the distinct impression that NOSE DIVE know something you don't. Well versed and steeped in both angry '80s hardcore and UK punk (think BLITZ meets WARZONE tinged with Midwest punk), while sounding totally relevant. Diane (LIVID, OPT OUT) plays guitar with dudes from RANK/XEROX and JUMP OFF A BUILDING and maybe some other folks, but I wouldn't really know because they never fukkn play shows. This band is at the top of my 'must see' list, and is on a very short list of the best current bands in the Bay, and their tapes are only $1 from Jess.

BLACK CLOUD

PERMANENT RUIN

After a week filled with near misses and never-seens from my local 'burgh, it seems logical to start the weekend with one of my favorite current (and accessible) Bay Area bands. I should really only have to tell you that PERMANENT RUIN are 2/3 of IN DISGUST with the singer from CONDENADA and you'll be fumbling for the mouse so you can click and enjoy - but even a cursory listen will show that PERM RU surpass mere comparisons. The grinding insanity that was IN DISGUST has been injected with manic Japanese riffing and howling insistent female vocals that keep you on edge from their first belt. This is powerful shit, and when "White Wash" slows the pace to what would be a ripping hardcore scorcher for most normal bands, this band's fury cannot be denied. Presented as one wall of chaos with not even a breath of silence, these 11 songs fly by in as many minutes. And I am playing with them again Saturday at The Swamp...stoked.

PERMANENT RUIN

RISING FROM THE RED SAND

Karoline and I went on an excursion to Sacramento and Woodland last weekend, looking for records, looking for interesting picture frames, looking for stereo and camera equipment...just generally spending the day with a couple of good friends and trying to rid the Earth's landfills of a few potentially useful items. I bought a few records (the SCALA 3 LP is nothing special, but will do well on the next '80s DJ night, while the NERVOUS GENDER 12" that Jon suggested turned out to be, not surprisingly, quite excellent, and the TITMACHINE EP was a pleasantly noisy surprise), Dionne bought two ancient video cameras, and one of them even works. But never mind the haul (which also included the tape deck that ripped today's post - $6.35!), you came here for a comp, and I found a fukkn winner in the depths of the cassette wall at Russel's Murder Shack in Sacramento. This is Volume 1 of what was a five tape collection from Third Mind released in 1983 (my copy is the reissue from Statutory Tape) - obviously, it would have been sweet to find the whole set, but for 95 cents, you won't find me complaining. Brilliantly awkward early industrial madness from the likes of CHRIS AND COSEY, SECTION 25, ATTRITION (my favorite track on the tape), LEGENDARY PINK DOTS and others. The first side mostly fits into the world of dark and introspective but still danceable industrial music, but shit gets real dark on the flip. After the 8+ minute NURSE WITH WOUND track filled with eerie vocal manipulations, the listener is treated to harsh and primitive industrial noise from the likes of SUTCLIFFE JUGEND and DDAA before the side mellows out to a psychedelic and noisy end with JOHN WURST and HUMAN FLESH. Fukkn brilliant sounds - and in keeping with my Bay Area theme, I bought it in Sacramento. Not technically the Bay Area, I suppose, but we let them claim it because there are some pretty cool folks there.

RISING FROM THE RED SAND

DEPRESSOR

One of the more mysterious Bay Area bands of the '90s, DEPRESSOR rarely made their way onto a stage, but their cassette releases have weathered the years better than most. Primarily a one man project, DEPRESSOR took influences from AMEBIX, GODFLESH, NEUROSIS and molded them like clay into something that was not derivative, but still familiar. 1995's self titled demo could be a long lost MINISTRY session, dark and pounding electronic simplicity, while 1997's Grace is more in line with the AMEBIX/AXEGRINDER worship that the band is more known for. Both demos are included on this tape (and therefore in this download), continuing my week long homage to the city in which I reside.

DEPRESSOR & GRACE

JUMP OFF A BUILDING

Keeping things in the San Francisco metropolitan area, and here's yet another band I missed out on while I was living in the Midwest. It's cool, because I got to see a shitheap of Midwest bands while I was there, and our house was really sweet...but shit this band rules. No frills, just killer US hardcore with the perfect vocal snarl - JUMP OFF A BUILDING left us with two cassette demos (recorded in '05 and '06), both presented here for your enjoyment...and if you don't enjoy "Left Out" then you might want to ponder whether or not you like hardcore punk, because that song is as close to a perfect example as I can imagine. I didn't miss out entirely, as the first OPT OUT show at Thrillhouse was supporting the one and only reunion show by these fine gents, who now play in RANK/XEROX, BROKEN MEN and other bands you should probably hear.

JUMP OFF A BUILDING 05/06

IN THE WAKE OF THE PLAGUE

This band started right after I left the Bay Area, and were gone in a flash after this demo and a self released EP with many of the same songs. Recorded in 2003 and on the front end of the melodic crust explosion, IN THE WAKE OF THE PLAGUE avoid many of those trappings and instead opt for smart rampaging hardcore. The vocals seal the package with a pained and insistent attack that owes far more to '80s hardcore than to any kind of new millennium crust. There's BORN//DEAD personnel involved (listen to the half time break in "Children Of Enoch," it's undeniable), but I think this demo dwarfs that comparison...this kills.

IN THE WAKE OF THE PLAGUE

EFFLUXUS

What better way to start your week than with six minutes of raw and fukkd hardcore insanity? Yeah, I couldn't think of anything either, so I decided to shove this new San Francisco band into your earholes. EFFLUXUS rip through chaotic tunes with a Scandinavian intensity, though the bones of their attack is not that far removed from early '00s fastcore. Throw blown out and pissed vocals, noise punk execution and sporadic DBeat leads into the mix and you are left with a complete fukkn winner. This band came out of nowhere, and I have yet to see them play...hopefully that will change soon.

EFFLUXUS

JOE YAMANAKA, R.I.P.

Akira "Joe" Yamanaka was the vocalist for the insanely influential Japanese psych outfit FLOWER TRAVELLIN' BAND, and 1971's Satori is without a doubt one of the most groundbreaking and unique records that can possibly be lumped into that genre. His vocals are unparalleled, and held up perfectly when I was lucky enough to see them in 2009...when they played the songs from that record in their entirety. This footage is amazing, even if only set to the studio recording - an incredible voice. His lung cancer was made public last year, and his death was announced today. 

EXECUTION TECHNIQUES

Dark and vaguely industrial noise that weaves drunkenly from harsh droning sounds ("Chastised" and "Forgotten") to more structured and synth drenched distorted anti-music ("Fiery Triumph" and "Forget Your Dreams"). These four tracks make up the entirety of Salvation Is False Hope, a 22 minute journey into a bleak wonderland. EXECUTION TECHNIQUES have dished out a few cassettes before this one, but their vision has been achieved here, and I thank the fine folks at Drugged Conscience for making it available. Highly recommended, though probably more for dark winter listening.

SALVATION IS FALSE HOPE

STRONGBLOOD

While I am more than a little late to the world of kvlt lo-fi black metal, and I am certainly not the person who should be passing judgement on the bands that loosely fall into that category, I do know what I like when I hear it, and I like STRONGBLOOD. Simple and driving songs that seem to follow the BONE AWL/VIPER approach: turn basic three chord punk songs into sinister metal offerings. It's a formula that works, especially on "Torn From The Root" and "Wolves." The guitars dominate songs like "The Sword's Gleam" with primitive melodic leads competing for attention with anxious vocal howls. The 9+ minute "White Roses" ends the tape with a predictably apocalyptic wall of distorted minor chord guitars, but knowing it's coming doesn't make the climax any less moving. 

THE BEATEN PATHS OF YOUTH

Physical copies available here: strongblood.bigcartel.com

FAST COMP

The title pretty much says it all, this is a Fast Comp. None of these songs crack the one minute mark, and range from face ripping fastcore to mincing grind, with a focus on blinding early '00s speed and a few detours down Powerviolence Avenue along the way. Highlights for these ears include SKATE EDGE, RUN LIKE HELL, KRUPSKAYA, WHITE MALE DUMBINANCE, DICK PUNCH and FILTHPACT, but there are plenty more, and if you like fast then clearly this is your lucky Friday. 34 bands in under 19 minutes, so dig in - the first side will be over before you are finished with your morning dump.

FAST COMP

Here are all the band contacts - in case you are feeling like rekindling that '90s "community" feeling. Probably you just want to listen to grindcore in your underpants, and that's fine too.

BODYROT

Sometimes it's good to be old and out of the loop, because it means that you get to "discover" music that all the hip people have already cycled through and gotten bored with. This tape came out in 2009, and if the internet is to be believed, then folks from BODYROT have moved on to the equally awesome NEON BLUD - but never mind what they are doing now, today is all about what they were doing then. Noisy and demented juvenile shits, snarky and full of false confidence, attitude and keyboards. Add liberal doses of confused distortion and mash it all into an oh-so-danceable package - you are getting the picture, right? The vocals are mostly female, and they seem not the least bit concerned with joining the music in any sort of harmonious manner, but their cavalier presentation (along with the baffling amount of feedback that permeates virtually every moment of sound) is part of what makes this chaotic trainwreck so appealing. It's like mysterious guy hardcore for shy girls - and that's a compliment.

TUFF MUSCLES

The girl on the cover is the first person who took me to eat at the quasi-famous grease trucks in New Brunswick, New Jersey, and she appears to be eating one of those quasi-famous sandwiches in the photo. What that has to do with BODYROT, I have no idea.

BODYCOP

These noisy dirges from Washington DC sound like FLIPPER and SWANS competing to win the heart of an emotionally tormented maiden. Whatever that means. Five songs in half an hour with gratuitous and wholly appropriate use of electronic noise. It means BODY COP are awesome.

STAY ALIVE

This is from Fan Death, and I hear they are making a record too, which makes me happy.