MEMBRANE

Ramshackle, distorted dupa-dupa from Brooklyn circa a few years ago. To be honest, I think that history will be unkind to this particular brand of raw hardcore punk, but good bands are still good bands, and I am sure that future ears will wisely acknowledge those that deserve acknowledgement. So, almost four years removed from the release of this creamer I am asking you to blast "Noose" and ask yourself where MEMBRANE fall in the historical judgement-o-meter......or perhaps we just need to get shithoused and keep listening for a few more years before we can really decide. 

MEMBRANE

CIDERVISION

The contents here conjure up more questions than the included information could ever answer. And by "included information," I mean the cover you see pictured above. That's all I have, so assistance is appreciated. Over 90 minutes of ramshackle UK punk (I'm guessing late '80s?) await you - some live, some rehearsals, some demos, some pure noise....and almost all of it is compelling, especially for those with shit-fi tendencies. So dig in. And dig.

DEAD HIPPIES 

DIFFERENCE

One of the early installments from the Building label was this sub-five minute explosion from DIFFERENCE. Filthy and raw California hc/pv with desperate vocals in league with (gasp) deliver songs structured more like forms of punishment than anything approaching music. "Again" is a magical piece of devastation, as close to perfect as you could ever expect to find. I would ask you to enjoy this tape, but enjoyment is not the point. 

DEMO #1

SCUMRAID

Remember a few years ago when all you mutants wanted on Mondays was some blown out, distortion laden noise? I miss those days. For a while you just wanted goth rehash nonsense, and maybe you still do, or maybe I just don't know what you want anymore, but I'll be fukkd if a blast of face melting distortion doesn't start my week off right. So as this year's Manic Relapse fest approaches, here's a blast from the best band that graced the Bay Area at last year's fest, South Korea's SCUMRAID. If you have the internet (and, let's be frank here: you do), then you must already know about this trio so introductions and descriptions are probably wasted on you. But here you go - 6 1/2 minutes of blistering and relentless noise punk. And for the (foolish) few who think this subgenre passĂ©, listen to the guitar at the 0:12 mark of "Generation," and then pay close attention until the 0:34 mark....and now fukkn tell me these freaks aren't geniuses. Go ahead. You can tell me, but you'll be wrong. The starts/stops in "Controlled Society"? Brilliant. From complete insanity to total stop and then back again before you even know what the fukk happened. So yeah...it's Monday. 

SCUMRAID: WEST COAST 2016 

WHORELORD

Howling, filthy, raw, primitive metal. Nothing tight or concise, nothing professional or clean....this is about as primal as it gets, and proof once again that the $1 castaway bins of the world still overflow with bounty. I'm back....did you miss me?

WHORELORD

ESKRO

Seven bursts of ramshackle drum/bass DBeat violence. 

ESKRO

ATARAXIA

Perfectly executed bombastic Japanese DBeat hardcore punk. Loud, fast, massive guitars, howling vocals, just the tiniest hint of melody in the riffs...check the "ooopphh!!" after the drums start "Shinjutsu" and if you are raging then you aren't listening. This 2014 demo is exactly what it's supposed to be, and it's exactly what you need. 

I FEAR WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS

FUNDAMENTAL

Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know that you stopped publicly backing and pretending to listen to blistering ear torture distortion with light speed neanderthal beats. I guess I'll try to post some en vogue and/or currently cool things soon. You'll have to suffer through this until then. But on the up side, the THE BOYS cover here is next level awesome. 

6 SICKLY TRAX

PARANOID

2015's Satyagraha was one of the best records of that year, and straight up the most inventive thing I have ever heard come out of the narrow confines of raw, distorted DBeat. I left a bandmate's wedding reception early to catch them in a backyard in Oakland last summer (sorry, Andrew), and while the sound was complete garbage and I couldn't see a fukkn thing because the lights were pointed at the meager audience....they leveled the joint. I bought a stupid Chainsaw Massacre ripoff tour shirt (little known fact: sometimes I don't make the best financial decisions) and this banger here that easily makes up for the cash I blew on that shirt. As the title (and art) suggests, here's Sweden's PARANOID laying waste to a who's who of modern and classic punk and metal: PISSCHRÏST, EXPLOITED, STREBERS, CELTIC FROST, SEPULTURA, KAAOS, DARKTHRONE, STATE OF FEAR, ACURSED (most underrated Swedish band of the '00s? Perhaps...), ANTI CIMEX, TOTALITÄR, and PENTAGRAM. And still....it sounds like fukkn PARANOID. Essential Cream Status.

COVER OF THE MONTH

FILTHY HATE

Relentless and demonic over the top Japanese metalcrust. You know the drill. Link below. 

HATRED STENCH STENCH CORPSE // POSSESSED TO SATAN

VIOLENCE

This Oakland outfit only played a few shows before things fell apart...and I sadly didn't even see them once. One time I was in a line outside the show, waiting to get frisked, stubbornly refusing to even attempt to pull some weird "scene card" that I probably didn't even (don't even) have to jump the line so I could see the first band....and so I listened to aural strains of VIOLENCE outside the venue instead of seeing them in the flesh. They sounded like a complete mess. And I wish I had tried to pull that card. And these eight minutes is all that is left. Four women. No guitars. Weird and uncomfortable post punk presented as noise punk....yeah, I really wish I had tried to jump the line that night. "We Want Anarchy" is fukkn primal, there's just no other way to describe it. It's not "good" buy any classical definition, but it's more "real" than most of the bullshit that passes as punk in these modern days. Keep it weird, y'all. Keep not giving a fukk. 

VIOLENCE

Also - try searching the internet for a band called VIOLENCE. Seriously. It's fun. 

COLLAPSE SOCIETY

Noisy and chaotic beyond belief, poorly reproduced and suffering from waves of hiss, ramshackle mania with vocals mixed way too high and bass distorted to a near noteless rumble. In other words: perfect. I think this is how these sounds were meant to be listened to, and COLLAPSE SOCIETY has been doing the thing for fukkn 25 years. Noise Not Music, motherfukkrs. 

DEMO '93

POLLEN

You can be "over" the noisy blown out punk thing if you want. Seriously. It's OK. How many times do you really want to hear tuneless bursts of distortion punctuated by high pitched "aaahhh! aaahhh!! aarrgghh!!" instead of choruses. I get it. We all do. I'm just saying though.....you are missing out. These Philadelphia mutants took off the fukkn roof at last spring's Manic Relapse (POLLEN and THE DARK were pretty much worth the entire price of admission), and this tape (released for their trip to the fest) is relentless. Five studio tracks in as many minutes, DBeat riffs struggling to keep up with the perhaps fastest the tupa-tupa I have ever heard. It's textbook, and it's awesome. Raw as fukk rehearsal recording on the flip - just in case you thought I was joking when I said they can deliver the goods live. This band is a monster.

MANIC RELAPSE IV DEMO

HORSE & DEER

Oh...I'm sorry, did you miss these freaks earlier this year because you don't live in the Bay Area? Sometimes, even amongst the bullshit...sometimes we still manage to win around these parts. Manic insanity from Tokyo, HORSE & DEER plow through 8 tracks of frantic distorted Plasma Speed Punk - launching themselves between riffs the same way they launched themselves through the air. Song construction that defies description, but casts an eye towards the energy they bring to every fukkn live show. Next level.

STRANDING

EVIL SPIRIT

Yeah, yeah, I know. Too many words yesterday. I hear you, punks. I hear you, and I am here for you. Weird. Raw. Primitive. Punk. No frills. No tuners. You're welcome.

BLACK CROSS

KUSTA PÄSSÄÄ

Filthy '90s Brasilian grind/crust. Ripping fasts, searing blasts, multiple vocals and pure raw attack. Choice banger: "Gasolina," if only because when they scream the word it sounds like a very real threat. 

DT '98

EXACERBACÍON

Costa Rica's EXACERBACÍON blipped onto my radar a few years ago, and I just took an extended tour of their discography and was reminded how appealing the world of guttural shit-fi grindcore can be. No nuance, just brutality and blasting and fukkn filth. Muerte Imminente is from 2010, but there are at least 15 more releases you should get into after to choke this one down. 

MUERTE IMMINENTE

POLIS-ÄCKEL

Noisy and bombastic hardcore, blown to shit just the way you mutants like it. It's from Italy. You know what else is from Italy? Fukkn Rome. ROME is not just from Italy - Rome is IN Italy. Shit is fukkn wild. POLIS-ÄCKEL bash out DBeat creamer after DBeat creamer...full fury fist in the air manis...tinny guitar peaked for no reason, total and glorious monotony. This is what Mondays were made for....this week is yours, punk.

WORLD WIDE DEATH CULTURE

METH SORES

Final effort from this group of Bay Area outsiders, METH SORES leave the building with more noise and confusion than ever before. Chaotic and awkward, their recordings embody actual despair and actual frustration - noise and misanthropy shoved into one machine. I've covered them at length, their demos have always perked my ears, the live shows were sporadic and weird...the shit is punk. Check the Life Sucker Productions, check ABUSIVO (new band with METH SORES members...I think), and check this Slimey Beast. 

SLIMEY BEAST

ЯКУСКИЙ ПАНК // ĐŸĐ›ĐžĐ„ĐžĐ™ ПАНК

Three bands from Yakutsk, capital of the Sakha Republic in Siberia - a city of 300,000 isolated motherfuckers who are starting to drop some really compelling punk and hardcore bands.  ĐšĐĐ Đœ ĐĄĐĄ were here recently, but this other shit....? I'm just saying you need to get amongst the Russia Train now to avoid being left behind, because that shit is leaving the station and it's standing room only. Đ–Đ•ĐĐĄĐšĐĐŻ ДИСГАРМОНИЯ, DEAD BIEBER'S, and йАРМ ĐĄĐĄ make some seriously engaging racket on this comp...raw and discordant punk and hardcore shits to share with all your friends. Can you believe that Matt just didn't want this anymore and gave it to me? Shit - I couldn't believe it either.

ЯКУСКИЙ ПАНК // ĐŸĐ›ĐžĐ„ĐžĐ™ ПАНК