GENITAL DEFORMITIES - "Profession Of Violence" demo (UK, 199?)

Unlike the name suggests, Genital Deformities is far removed from a Carcass-like gore grind combo. Not sure exactly when this demo was recorded/released but I somewhat remember getting it in the mail circa 1990, or maybe '92, though this is a rough guess. Hazy memory doesn't get better with age. I'm pretty sure it follows the "Shag Nasty" LP, and it is also heaps more appealing if you ask me. It's dirty, grinding (not in a "blast beat" grind way though), political, guttural metallic crust/punk, the way only Brits know how to churn it out. Mandatory anti-Poll Tax song included! Not sure who these guys were but there was at least one Excrement Of War member involved. This tape was reissued a couple of years later on vinyl as a split LP with Nuclear Death (the Polish one, not Lori Bravo's infamous pioneering US death metal band). Do yourself a favor and check it out if you like your crust punk ugly and metal ridden… I know I do, and this bloody little ripper has been a personal favorite for over two decades.

GENITAL DEFORMITIES - Profession Of Violence demo (UK, 199?)

HIATUS / HEALTH HAZARD - "Don't Think With Your Dick…" split live tape (Belgium/UK, 1994)

Two of the most popular '90s "Euro crust" bands gathered on one tape, both recorded live in the South-West of France in 1993-94 and released by Utopia Tapes, a cassette label run by Fred a.k.a "Tony", also drummer for Enola Gay, Vomit Yourself, and Disbeer. I got the opportunity to see both bands on stage at the time and they were super solid, as those recordings can attest. The Hiatus side was recorded in Auch on August 17th 1993 and the sound quality is excellent. Soundboard recording. I really had a soft spot for this band, they always killed it live and were our own French-speaking, heavy drinking, continental answer to Doom. Talking of which, the tape ends with Hiatus' hilarious studio rendition of Doom's "Relief" taken from the split 7" shared by both bands. The Health Hazard side has a much rougher audience recording (Toulouse on February 22nd 1994) but is still totally listenable. The UK band logo was (and still is) on a lot of patches and shirts, for good reason. Blazing fast thrash/crust with raging female vocals. Ex and future members of just about every band in the UK ever, an attempt at a family tree would give even the most die-hard genealogist a headache within minutes. There's also the Not Just A Nightmare EP as bonus material to top it all off. The tape came with a really cool booklet featuring lyrics, pictures, collages… They don't make them like this anymore.

HIATUS / HEALTH HAZARD - Don't Think With Your Dick… split live tape (Belgium/UK, 1994)

EXTINCTION OF MANKIND - "Without Remorse" demo (UK, 1993)

Extinction Of Mankind don't really need an introduction, do they? Anarcho metallic crust punk from the UK heavily influenced by Antisect as the lettering/artwork suggests. They must have quite a massive discography by now. Saw them live a couple of times in the mid '90s but they never appealed to me much I'm afraid… This is their first recording, a lengthy 10-track tape that reeks of cider breath and filthy black rags. I've seen a different version of this tape with an alternate cover so I'm guessing it had been reissued at some point, but I got this copy straight from the band upon its release so I guess it's as authentic as you can get.

EXTINCTION OF MANKIND - Without Remorse demo (UK, 1993)

LEBENDEN TOTEN - 8 Tracks Demo (USA, 2002)

I don't think I need to hear another single "noise punk" band at this point in my life. Call me old or jaded, but this subgenre has gotten so redundant and sterile it's probably the "screamo" of the '10s and it's only a matter of months before that shit floods second hand bins. I love noise and feedback as much as anyone, but I also need riffs, hooks, and song structures in my punk. Lebenden Toten is one of the very, very few bands of the genre I can hang with, even though they really started to shine later on in their career (I suggest checking out their 2nd LP and 8" first thing if you've never heard them.) They hadn't really found their trademark style on this demo yet – even Chanel's vocals sound pretty different from the distinctive singing style she's known for. 

LEBENDEN TOTEN - 8 Tracks Demo (USA, 2002)

KONTEMPT - "The End Of The Destructor" demo (Canada, 2004)

The Kontempt 7" released on The Total End Records in 2006 survived a few record purges over the years at the Kängnäve HQ with its brand of brutal and downtuned Swedish-style hardcore. Hailing from Montréal, Canada, they also released this 9-song tape a couple of years prior with a slightly different line-up – the most noticeable difference being the vocal duties on this demo handled by Chany of Inepsy fame! I'll admit to liking the 7" more, but the tape is worth a listen anyway.

KONTEMPT - The End Of The Destructor demo (Canada, 2004)

SHIT SMELL - "Wasted Life!" demo (Sweden, 1994)

This is a pretty obscure '90s Swedish fast and raw hardcore punk band I know next to nothing about. Sounds typically Swedish even though it's sung in English, and it's a little more diverse than your average d-takt / käng band — it could've been on just about any Really Fast compilation. With a name like Shit Smell and song titles like "Drunk Again", "My Dick Falling Off" or "Fuck Skinheads", don't expect super clever politically charged manifestos for lyrics… haha. Add to this a raw recording, tape hiss, and some of the ugliest and most minimal cover design ever… Aesthetes stay clear!

SHIT SMELL - Wasted Life! demo (Sweden, 1994)

MORTIFIED - "Drivel" demo (1991)

After the Kulturo live tape I posted a few days ago, here's another weird occurence from the UK. There's hardly any info to be found about Mortified on the internet, other than the fact they had at least another demo. Their music itself is hard to describe: slow, dirgy, heavy and dissonant — there's elements of doom metal, crust, industrial, noise rock, an early Godflesh / Pitch Shifter vibe maybe, a little Amebix, although this isn't a remotely accurate description. Download and judge by yourself I guess? If you happen to know more and feel like sharing info, feel free to post in the comments section below.

MORTIFIED - Drivel demo (1991)

DISTURD - "Studio Trax" demo (2012)

Yes, the name Disturd is abysmal but blame it on the bad Engrish spoken by most Japanese punks and get over it 'cause this band rages harder than your own shitty band anyway. Formerly from Kobe but relocated to Tsuyama (or is it the other way around?), they're very similar to the almighty SDS (Societic Death Slaughter), churning out apocalyptic metallic crust to perfection— think late Antisect, Axegrinder, Sacrilege, etc. There's no info at all on the tape besides an email address, but I believe this 2-song cassette is only sold at shows. Even though I met their guitarist in Japan a couple of years ago, I never got to see them live, but my friend Momo was nice enough to grab this tape for me at a recent Disturd gig in Kyushu. It has a harsher recording than their recent 7"s, but it sounds damn great. Buy their records too!

DISTURD - Studio Trax demo (2012)

SAUNA - "Ei Leiki" demo (1991)

 
Sauna was an early '90s Swedish käng punk band. All I can remember is that one member (Pjär) went on to join 3-Way Cum, although I'm sure they must have shared personnel with other bands. They did a split LP with Disrupt but this demo is their true gem, much heavier and far more punishing. This downtuned aural assault is in league with the most brutal Swedish hardcore bands of yesteryear such as Svart Parad or Bombanfall, with vocals bordering on death metal growls. Coincidentally there is a Two Moons Rising cover song on this — Bombanfall if you prefer. The demo was released on Crash Mag Records who also released a couple of very underrated EPs in my opinion (Bombraid, No Admission...)

The tracklist displayed on the demo cover is wrong so I fixed the song order.

SAUNA - Ei Leiki demo (1991)