The most recent batch of reviews are at the top, and they come in succession after that... you'll figure it out, you're a smart grrrl/boooy.

6/28/00

Einsturzende Neubauten- "silence is sexy" 2xCD
It just occurred to me that I am not very good at writing record reviews, and no one probably reads them anyway... but what the hell, I'll try my hand at a few more. I thought previously that E.N. weren't going to be able to make a better album than "ende neu". ende neu took all the things that they were known for and congealed it into one album... it had the noisy, interesting instrumentation (e.g. bowed guitars, metal pipes, breaking glass, etc) from the early days and the musicality from the tabula rasa period and melded them together... well, with silence is sexy they took that formula and went in a more drawn out, artistic direction with it. this is two cds, the first of which is 14 songs, pretty much a complete album. the second cd is only one "song" called pelikanol, which is basically just 20 minutes of noise... I mean, it's good, don't get me wrong, just not musical. anyway, this album is very quiet. certainly a long leap from "strategies gegen arkitekturen". I really don't know what to say, except that "total eclipse of the sun" is one of the most beautiful songs ever written, and there are many other catchy songs on here as well. anyway, I'll stop talking now. If you are sick of just plain old rock music and want something of more beauty and that makes more sense as an artistic whole, this album is absolutely for you.

1/31/00

The Luddite Clone- "the arsonist and the architect" pic disc lp.
Well, this record was an experiment for me... as in, I hadn't heard the band, and really hadn't heard anything about them except for the description in vacuum. Well, I found it at a distro at a show and the picture disc was so pretty, and I was already interested, so I had to pick it up. I am so glad I did! This is crazy-ass grindcore, with maybe some black metal and hardcore parts mixed in. But it's not like, "ok, here's the grind, now we'll go metal...", it's "all mixed together" as I like to say. mmm mmmm good. But yeah, this is seriously one of the best records I've bought in a while. It's not necessarily anything new, as in, they aren't really breaking new ground, but that isn't always what makes good music. Just great hardcore/grind with a lot of energy and a good sense of what fucking rocks. 9 out of 10. I only wish it were longer...

Radiant Pig- "in the attic" cd.
I saw this band live with lungfish, and what can I say? For me, it's like... imagine if Lewis Carrol, David Lynch, and John Waters all formed a band together... this would probably be the result. It's like, hippy music, sort of. Well, not sort of. It's hippie rock trip out music. When they played live, they all wore costumes which looked like something out of Alice In Wonderland (hence the Lewis Carrol reference), with flames on the pants, top hats, and top hats and whatnot. Very interesting to see live, though not necessarily what I was expecting. Anyway, I went up to the singer after the show and told her that I thought her band was very good, and I was going to say "hey, I'd buy your cd but I don't have any money. Do you have an address where I can write and order it?" but she interrupted me after the "I don't have any money part" and was like "oh, hey... I'll just give you one." and proceeded to get out the cd, saying "just don't tell anyone", whereupon she then turned around and sold cds to two other girls for $10 a piece. I felt so special! Maybe she thought I was cute or something (ha!). Anyway, If you are into sort of strange, chorus-y, hippy music with weird lyrics, well... this is for you. Go see em live though. They're phun.

Brutal Truth- "goodbye cruel world!" 2xCD
I was never a huge fan of brutal truth. To be honest, I actually thought they weren't very good. Well, for christmas I got a gift certificate for Best Buy, and well... they REALLY didn't have much else that I wanted and could afford, so... I ended up getting this. Well boy, was I blown away. They completely surpassed my expectations! For those of you who don't know, this cd is mostly live stuff, with a few rarities. Well, these guys were SO tight live. It took me a while to even realize that what I was listening to was a live show. Blistering fast grindcore, and executed perfectly. Damn... I'm so impressed. It's got a pretty low price too, for 2 cds. I reccomend it highly.

324- "customized circle" 7"
Well, I bought this 7" thinking it was going to be fastcore, along the lines of fuck on the beach or something like that. Blisteringly fast, sort of punkish, you know the deal. I put this on the turntable and was absolutely blown away. Fucking grindcore with deep ass vocals and lots of drum breaks. I am so impressed. Not much metal, just grindcore with a big punk influence. Wish I knew what they were saying, but hey, whatever. I plan on getting every other release by this band. Fuck yeah. this is what drives me, for sure

Melt Banana- "MxBx: 13000 miles at light velocity"
This is a live recording of this band, but recorded live on the radio, so there's no crowd yelling and all of that shit, but it is still a representation of what they do live. And you know what? It's a lot better than some of their studio recordings. Fucking crazy energy... it sounds like random shit, but it's totally not random at all, it's completely orchestrated noise. Damn... I wish I could see this band again. As a special bonus, this cd has their live cover of surfin' u.s.a. Fuck yeah... Fuck yeah... what else can I say?

1/8/00

Coalesce- "0:12 revolution in just listening"
This is coalesce. I am sure you know them. This is like... that same technical metal that has been becoming popular now, but not so technical that it isn't easy to hold onto. There's definite hooks, and melodic lines, but mixed in with a lot of dissonance and musical talent. Coalesce is truly an amazing band and they will be sorely missed.

Einsturzende Neubauten- Ende Neu
If you don't know einsturzende neubauten, well shame on you. They were certainly one of the pioneering groups of all time, and though people in the major music media like to say they started a movement (which, in all truthfullness, they did, but it was only a very small one... "junk rock"), they were certainly one of the most unique groups ever. Period. They practiced some of the first ever of taking junk taken from scrapyards and making music. One of the pioneering noise groups. Well... this album is the latest in a progression. And they certainly have gotten a lot more "musical", though not by losing their edge, nor their adventurous spirit. On here we have the song "stella maris" which, oddly enough, features a full string section. Not the thing you would expect to find on a Neubauten record, but still... one of the prettiest songs ever written. Also, there is the song NNNAAAMMM (new no new age advanced ambient motor music machine). Basically, a chorus of men chanting the extended title, while recordings of a bass guitar and drums and then many many different motors and machines going in the background. Also, there are newish-typical industrial-esque poetic droning songs... I am rambling... This is definitely an album worth picking up. Certainly a great listen, though it helps if you know where it fits in the history of the band.

Man Without Plan- shop talk
Man Without Plan are poppy punk rock... I saw them live last night and they blew me away with their energy... jumping all around, thrashing their guitars... really really good. The cd doesn't do the best job capturing their live energy. It is good, and can stand alone, but is not so great when compared to them live. That's all I can say. Worth picking up, but not over that new orchid record that you want or whatever...

Black Star- Mos Def and Talib Kweli are Black Star
To be honest, I do not know too much about hip hop. But just the other day, someone who apparently knows even less than me said to me that "hip hop is dead". All I could think of was this album, and tell them how wrong they were. Hip hop is definitely alive and kicking. This album is truly great. Here we have a couple awesome emcees, doing their own things but making it work together. Also... really, there isn't much subject matter that I am offended by or anything, so... you know it's gotta be good like that if I'm not offended. A little too many "bitch"'s, but none of them are used in a derogatory way, so... A definite great purchase.

Nobukazu Takemura- scope
Nobukazu Takemura is the artist who made the cd that jt got for me for xmas (thanks jt!). He was apparently a rather early japanese noise artist, who has progressed so far as to, according to some people, make a 180 degree turn around. I wouldn't say this is completely seperate from noise though... it's like... light, techno noise, if you get that. To give you an idea, apparently this guy and Roni Size are mutual admirers of each others works. So yeah... Here we have some extremely experimental electronic music. None of those stupid ass "chemical brothers" beats. Just straight up avant garde free electronica. This is on Thrill Jockey, which is an american label, which means it shouldn't be too hard to find... pick it up if you see it and you are into the more experimental side of music.

11/29/99

Neurosis-"Times of Grace" cd
Well, I certainly am glad I finally got around to getting this. Many of the songs that I heard when they played live but didn't recognize are on here (obviously... they were, after all, touring for the new record). I am amazed, because this actually surpasses their last, amazing album, Through Silver In Blood. It's that good. The first song, the doorway, is probably the most aggressive and heaviest I've heard out of Neurosis. What else can I say? The patented neurosis moody-ness and atmosphere, combined with utmost aggression and power. Amazing. www.neurosis.com

Agoraphobic Nosebleed/Converge- "the poached diaries" cd
Damn, two relapse cd's in one month. I am impressed with myself. Or is that disappointed. Anyway, ANb represents again with their drum machine fueled fury, only this time it's actually toned down a bit. Don't get me wrong, the fire's still there, only this time around it's not quite so straight up grindcore. There's blasty parts, to be sure, but more mid tempo (well, mid tempo for ANb) stuff than previously. It's certainly not 2000 mph the whole way. As far as Converge goes, they are going more in the direction of ANb. I am sure if someone who wasn't really familiar with both bands could certainly confuse the two. Anyway, converge, although getting a bit faster, is still coming through with the cruncy slayer type metal hc style that got them where they are, along with a couple little atmospheric parts mixed in to keep it fresh. Altogether, a great release!

The Dillinger Escape Plan- "calculating infinity" cd
Man, a third relapse cd this time. The dillinger escape plan, if you don't know, are incredibly spastic, insane fast hardcore with little jazzy interludes and other such nonsense. Well, they have taken that formula and just perfected it with this release. These guys are just so musically talented, it makes me wonder how long they have been just sitting around saying "gotta play faster, gotta play faster". This cd may not be the easiest thing to listen to, but it is absolutely mind blowing. Definitely two thumbs up!

Physics- "physics2" cd and s/t 7"
Well, my band played a show about a month back with this band, from san diego. Well, they certainly were a sight to behold. The live performance included mad crazy film work, plenty of keyboards, strange percussion, effects pedals, etc. Basically, I would describe this as ambient techno crossed with the quiter parts of neurosis crossed with old sonic youth. It's definitely some good shit. Members of Crash Worship, friends of Neurosis and Blackheart Procession... you know it's good.

10/3/99

Nine Inch Nails-"the fragile" cd
So apparently this is the time for me for major label stuff, cause well... with this and slipknot this month, plus mr. bungle last month, I am just becoming a big sellout it appears. Anyway, I am trying to review a record here... the new nine inch nails is really good dude. It reminds me most of the downward spiral than any of their other stuff, though it's a lot more introspective and arty. There are far more quiet songs on here than loud rockish songs. This album is really great, but a lot of music to digest. Two cd's, almost 2 hours of music. The packaging is really great, it's a foldout double digipak with a huge lyric booklet and lots of great artwork. I highly suggest you get this album, that is, if you have the money. The cheapest I've seen it for was $19 at best buy. Certainly not what I am used to paying for an album, but certainly worth it, at least for me.

page 99-"document #4" 6"
Well, I finally got around to getting this record today. It's certainly a great one. First off, there's the 6" size of the record (which I've always thought was the best, along with the 8"), and it's cranberry colored to boot. Along with that, we have some really good music which I'd describe as just, hardcore music with very diverse influences. I hear everything from emo, to dazzling killmen, to discordance axis in this music. To me, that equals good. Then there's the "theme" of the record, which is basically them trying to cope with the death of a close friend. There is a very honest, well written "essay" inside the sleeve by one of the members of the band concerning this, and it conveys very well the emotions being felt here. And on top of all of that, these are really nice guys who deserve your full support! Buy this record before it's gone!

Slipknot-s/t cd
Slipknot is a band on Roadrunner (home of Soulfly, Sepultura, Biohazard, Machine Head, etc). That may or may not give you an idea of the sound. They don't really sound like those bands, though. I mean, it's still heavy, metal shit, but more in the vein of korn, staind, and bands in that genre. What sets these guys apart though is the sheer energy and aggression they put into what they do. It's almost like korn played with a grindcore attitude. I like it a lot. There's also subtle other influences going on here, too (turntables, tribal drumming). Plus, these guys wear some crazy-ass scary costumes both in the cd, and I've heard onstage as well. Basically, if you have been enjoying what is turning out to be mainstream "heavy" music these days, check out these guys and learn what it is to go fucking nuts.

9/5/99

Mr. Bungle-california cd
Finally got this after seeing them almost a month ago and not knowing half the songs they were playing. Anyway, if you don't know mr. bungle, well... everything they do is a joke. This album being no exception. Lots of ballads, hawaiian style songs, swing songs, etc. Basically, lots of stuff that's sure to alienate their mostly metal audience. Still, I think this is a great album. Absolutely seamless production. This album is great to listen to through your headphones, just so you can hear everything that's going on, instrumentally. You can download mp3's of this album at http://www.humboldt1.com/~mimicry.

Aus Rotten- ...and now back to our programming lp
Aus Rotten finally comes back with a new lp after a couple years. This one has really good production compared to the last one, it just sounds really really good. As far as the music goes, it seems to me to be more along the lines of their older stuff (pre-the system...), as in just more aggressive. The lyrical content covers the gamut of punk/hc topics i.e. sexism, vivisection, corporations, etc. Don't take that the wrong way though, these guys do it better than most. Plus, this comes with the typical Aus Rotten poster sleeve. An inspirational record...

8/30/99

Seven Foot Spleen-enter therapy cd
I was at tower tonight, and I saw this just a' sittin' there. I had no idea it even existed. But there were two copies, so it's probably new. I am listening to this for the first time right now (3/4 of the way through it), but I can already review it believe it or not. Fucking BRUTAL! First of all, if you just look at the album length... 11 songs in 70+ minutes, you know it's brutal. That's almost grief length. But yeah, this isn't like grief. It's a lot more brutal (I am using that word too much, eh?) in my opinion. If you take the best parts of black metal, sludge, blastbeat and sabbath, you'd have seven foot spleen. I only wish that they were a bit more serious. There's no lyric sheet, but the song titles lead me to believe they are kind of joking around... "Big Rig Blues", "It Smells", "Rag Acne"... but who knows. They could be being mad serious. Yeah... anyway, this is definitely worth picking up!

8/22/99

Agoraphobic Nosebleed-pcp torpedo 6"
I got this a long time ago, but for some reason it has remained un-reviewed for too long. Anyway, this is I guess the typical agoraphobic nosebleed style. A million mph grindcore w/ drum machine ala scott hull. That means, at least to me, impecable musicianship. Well anyway, this 6" is easily one of, if not the most crazy record I own. The whole thing just flies by and leaves me floored. My highest regards to both scott hull and to hydra head.

Bedford- year one 7"
We (my band) "played" with these guys in buffalo on our "tour" (haha). Anyway, they were described to us as "upbeat emo-punk". Well, to me they sound just basically like regular ol' pop punk to me. Not bad, but not all that different from anything else, either. At least they have the energy, and a wee bit of agression. This is their first 7" (hence the name), and I'd like to hear what they've done since this.

Employer, Employee- mother spain and the wayfaring myth
I saw these guys with suicide nation last month and I was absolutely blown away. They played last (cause they had just been stuck on the show a few days before [cause stalag closed]), and hardly anyone was there to experience the brutality. This 7" captures their live sound, too. It's sweeping brutal hardcore with little soft interludes (but not emo by any measure)... just like, little spoken parts in between the sceaming and the growling. I can't wait to hear more from these guys! Absolutely amazing 7"!

Spazm151- power songs for the kidz 7"
This is on havoc records if that gives you any idea of the sound. The lyrics, eh... they're ok. But well, they definitely have a lot of agression in the music that works in their favor. I really like the way their deeper singer "james" sings on some of the songs... it's really punchy and, I dunno... good. Anyway, I hear their older stuff is more like, blastbeat oriented crust so maybe that's more your style. I know it'd be more my style. Still, this is a fine piece of wax. I just wish the lyrics weren't so goddamn dumb.

By All Means- fino a qui... ...tutto bene! lp
I saw these guys with avail and boy sets fire (like everyone else in the world) and well... I was impressed to no end. Again, they "blew me away". two to three minute blasts of straight up hardcore with growled vocals that set them apart. The lp comes with a twelve or so page booklet which states their opinions on everything from straight edge to homophobia, along with lyrics and translations (they're in italian). Quite a great deal for $6 (what I paid). I believe the only place you're gonna find this is ebulittion.

His Hero Is Gone- the plot sickens: enslavement redefined
Well, his hero have changed their sound, not for the worse though. I mean, you can still tell it's them, but it's just not the brutal, punishing stuff they were doing before. Nathan sez "discharge-esque" and I'd agree with that. More like what they were doing in the copout days. Just straight up hardcore without the brutal breakdown parts. Beautiful gatefold sleeve. Plus it comes with a suggested reading list! It's awesome. Buy it!

Melt Banana- Charlie cd
This cd is much more listenable than the last thing I bought of theirs "scratch or stitch". Just, more regular song structures and less like, 15 second songs. Better vocals as well. If you aren't familiar with them, I heard the best description of them this weekend: "like chipmunks having sex to nintendo music"! You can't go wrong with that!

6/23/99

A Bug's Life- movie
Ok, I know I have only traditionally reviewed records here, but since no one reads these anyway, who the hell cares, right? I found this movie awesome! I loved it in every way. I thought it was great that (you'll have to bear with me for a bit here) it teaches children the idea of rebellion and a strong working class. It doesn't have to be interpreted that way, but it at least plants the seed of an idea in a child's hungry mind, right? Anyway, I thought the animation was absolutely seamless (a big step up from Toy Story), the script writing was top notch, and well... what else do you need? It certainly doesn't hurt that Dennis Miller is in this movie. I love it. Dennis Miller in a disney movie... hahaha... Oh yeah! That reminds me! No dumb disney sweet-and-sugary songs! That has always been the big reason I can't sit through disney movies without squeaming (besides the revisionist history in Mulan and Pocahontas and whatnot), is those stupid-ass songs (you have to forgive me. I love the songs from the Little Mermaid, the Jungle Book and Robin Hood also, but hell, there's my hypocricy flaring up again). Anyway, all in all, this was a really fun movie. Call me what you will, but kid's movies occaisionally really strike a chord in me... this would be one of those.

Frodus/Atomic Fireball- split 7"
This is the tour edition of a split 7" that just came out here in the states, put out because Frodus toured japan with Atomic Fireball (or maybe it's vice-versa). Anyway, Atomic Fireball are this old japanese band that I've heard a lot about, but haven't ever actually heard. This 7" is one of those deals where they cover each others' songs, which always kind of irks me if it's a band I've never heard. I like it enough when they do an original AND cover each others' songs, but in this case, I usually don't get to hear what the band sounds like. Anyway, I was saying... on THIS 7" however, they alter each others' songs enough that the individual bands' personalities shine through. yeah. Anyway, I got a limited edition japanese tour cover which I doubt you'll be able to find over here, but that's ok, cause I think I liked the US version better anyway. And that's all I have to say about that.

5/18/99

Sleep- "Jerusalem" cd
Ah, more sludgecore. I can't seem to get enough of this these days... anyway, to the point at hand. Sleep, if you don't know, definitely come from the sabbath/melvins school of sludge-core, but take it to another level in terms of punishingly slow speed and song length. On their oddly titled second cd, volume one, not too many of the songs were under 10 minutes. Well, with this cd, they outdo themselves... One song! One 52 minute song! No shit! Surprisingly, this doesn't get boring at all, though I think it might be to someone who was not at all an afficionado of sludgecore. Maybe if you got them stoned... Anyway, to give you a bit of the history of this release, sleep was signed originally (after the seminal sludge band Asbestos Death disbanded) to Earache records. Well, to fulfill their contract, as their second album they gave them jerusalem. Well, Earache was having none of that and wouldn't press it. So, bootlegs have been floating around in one form or another for years, and finally, here we have a legit release of this. Anyway, as far as reccomending this goes, I wouldn't reccomend it to someone who is averse to sludge or, to be even more specific, anyone who hasn't heard sleep before. This is not really a good representation of what they can do.

Discordance Axis- "original sound version 1992-1995" cd
Discordance Axis is just about my favorite "grindcore" band, right along with Phobia and Assuck. They are fucking nuts. Dave Witte is the drummer for this band, if that gives you any idea. True insanity laid down on record, this is. 69 songs, 69 minutes. I am going crazy. This is so good! Discordance Axis mix brutal fucking grindcore with some "cyber punk" and weird times and come up destroying everything. I know I sound stupid, it's because I don't know what to say. Damn... damn... damn...

Shikabane- "some japanese stuff I can't read" cd
Shikabane are a current japanese hardcore band, along the lines of most other japanese hardcore bands, i.e. Gauze, Assfort, Damnable Excite Zombies, etc. These guys do it a lot better than most I must say. Quite a memorable record. Nice, thick booklet with lyrics and pictures. Two problems though: First of all, I really wish it were longer. I haven't timed it, but this cd can't be longer than 20 minutes. It's only 8 songs! My other problem with this album is that well, all the lyrics are in japanese! I wish more than anything that I could know what they're screaming about! Anyway, it's nice to look at, all the punk rock japanese writing. It's like, Casualties font, japanese style! Also, I know this will sound stupid, but I really like the way these guys dress! Their clothes are so ripped it looks like they can barely keep them on. Well, anyway, this a completely solid release. If you haven't heard much jap-core, this would be a good record to get you started.

5/18/99

Bongzilla- "stash" cd
Bongzilla... hmmm... take black sabbath, double the weed, give them one track minds and a lot of distortion, and you'd have these guys. Nine songs about weed. This makes me want to go smoke, no kidding. Song titles like "Sacred Smoke" "Budgun" and "Harvest". They even do a Sabbath cover to prove their loyalty. This album is definitely worth your time and money. I am so glad Rob sent me this. Thank you Rob!!!

His Hero Is Gone- "15 counts of arson" cd
I have had this album on tape for about 2 years or so now, so it's not like, new to me. I just have to pledge my allegience to it for a second... I listened to this album NON-STOP for about 4 months at the end of last school year. I am not even kidding. I listened to it twice a day for 4 months, no shit. And I never got tired of it. I calculated it, and it came out to at least 200-250 times that I've listened to this album... but to this day, it stays as crushing as when I first listened to it. Absolutely amazing. If I could only have one album for the rest of my life, it would be this.

Gasp- "drome triler of puzzle zoo people" cd
If I had to pick one band to represent "noise-core" as a description or genre, these guys would be it. Only about 2/3 of the tracks even come close to being actual songs, and the rest are all tape loops and weird noise. The songs, however, aren't much more decipherable. In other words, really noisy shit. Song titles include "Little Jupiter come home to a groat man", "Eating the translucent old folk's village" and "Hungry wer pedal's loaded luggage"... all I have to say is, what the fuck have these guys been smoking??? Anyway, it's still a great album. 8 out of 10.

Eminem- "the slim shady lp" cd
Eminem... ah, the spark of controversy! One thing I love about this guy is that he totally doesn't take himself seriously. I think what people miss about this when they get all offended is that it's all just a big joke, just meant to offend. Like South Park in a way... it's just trying to get to people. Like the song "role model"... It starts out with just eminem talking and he says "I am going to attempt to drown myself. You can try this at home. You can be just like me" and the song goes on to describe all these bad things that kids should do so "you can grow up to be just like me". The rest of the album follows suit. There's a song about how he kills his wife and takes his kid to dump her in the ocean with him... There's a song about how he gave this girl mushrooms at a party and killed her... the whole album is just a big joke. I like it a lot, and I don't see why people get so fired up about it. I guess we just shouldn't have to take responsibility for our actions anymore. Like, if I end up getting in a fight with someone and hurting him real bad, well, it must be eminem's fault for making such violent music. Anyway, as far as the music goes, about half the songs are just awesome. Real good beats that sound different from most other rap. The latter half of the album, however, is kind of lame. He starts falling into that whole west coast style of slow, 1-2 beat. zzzzzzz... anyway, if you see this used, it's worth it. Otherwise, it's not.

Ringwurm- "Eject the end all" 7"
This is some brutal hardcore. It reminds me of cattlepress in a way. Midpaced, tuned down guitar work, high pitched searing vocals. This is good shit. I am looking foreward to hearning more of this band. Warning: one of the members of this band is a cop, and a dumbass motherfucker at that. So, if you have a problem with that, well... buy something else. Otherwise, this is right up my alley anyway.

5/18/99

Noothgrush- tour promo cd of "Erode the person" lp
I am very very happy that I have this. Well, maybe I should prelude that with saying... I went and saw noothgrush live. I was completely blown away. They pummeled me and pummeled me and left me asking for more. I was sort of disappointed that there weren't that many people sticking around for the nooth', and of those, there were maybe 10 who were really into it. Still, they are easily among the top three bands I've ever seen live. Anyway, the cd... this cd is fucking great. It's sludge, but most sludge is so slow and depressing that it gets old quick. Not so in this case! They have just the right amount of speed mixed with heavy, crunchy distortion to keep me happy. I have been listening to this almost every day since I got it. It goes well with George Orwell books. Seriously. Anyway, I should say... as an extra perk this cd collects a bunch of comp and split tracks... including one of my favorite songs ever, STARVATION. Fucking ace! Get the new lp when it comes out in june. You will not regret it, I promise.

Sloth- "not our worst" cd
I am rather disappointed. For some reason I was under the impression that sludge=good. I mean, every band that I've heard in that genre so far has really impressed me, i.e. Sleep, Noothgrush, Corrupted, Grief, Boris, etc. Well, sloth... they are kind of lame. I mean, you can't go wrong with a $3 cd, but on second thought, you can. I would not buy this if I heard it first. It's like, sludge, but too goofy and happy to be real sludge. Whatever... buy the aesbestos death 7" instead.

5/17/99

Drowningman- "busy signal at the suicide hotline" cd

Well, this cd is ok, but I was really expecting more. They are on hydra head, and they fit into that whole metallic, fast, weird hc genre, typified by bands like botch, cave-in, dillinger escape plan, etc. Notice, I said they fit into it, not that they are it. They add in some other influences, too (emo, to be precise). They do it well, I must say, but it just doesn't "get my mojo goin'" or whatever. It's decent. I'd give it a 6 or 7 out of 10. I'd certainly rather listen to this than say, anything on the radio (though that's not saying much).

-Drowningman update, 5/18/99
I have changed my mind. These guys fucking rule. After listening to this cd for another 36 hours, I have decided that it really is quite good. You have to listen closely for one or two times to notice all the nuances that make this band so good. They weave many styles together quite well. Plus, this has some great lyrics... "high school slow dance" and "busy signal at the suicide hotline" have got to be some of my favorite personal-type lyrics of all time. This really is a great cd. I highly reccomend it. 8 1/2 out of 10!

4/29/99

Dazzling Killmen- "face of collapse" cd
I am so glad that I finally found this (through bottlenekk no less. thank you!). I got their compilation cd of older stuff, and I loved it (see review below). I also heard that, if I liked that, I'd like this a lot more because it is like requerda squared. I wouldn't contest that description at all. They take their whole thing of weird times, floating chords and all of that and just make it more intense. Fucking awesome cd. Get this if you find it, but I think it's out of print.

Lake Of Dracula- s/t cd
Another great skin graft band. Take danceable (though not dance) beats and add weird, spazzy guitar and mumbled/howled vocals and you get this. 16 songs of utter strangeness. Probably not for everyone, but me being a fan of everything strange (and therefore everything skin graft records puts out), this is right up my alley. "No wave"? Whatever...

4/27/99- Deleted all really old reviews. They were old and stupid and didn't reflect my current tastes in music. If you have some need to see them, then ask me about it.

Your Adversary- "3" cd
I saw this band live this weekend, and I totally thought they were great! Very high energy melodic hardcore punk type music. Hard to describe, though they don't have that original of a sound. Awesome, though. The cd kind of disappointed me though. They were so great live! Well, I don't know how their other material sounds in comparison (never heard any), but this cd shines dimly next to their live set. Still, it's a great cd, and definitely worth your money! See 'em if they come to your town!

Devola- "Playing the game of revenge..." cd
As Aaron Probe would say, FUCKING ROCK! I bought this cd simply on a reccomendation (thank you, Frank), saying that they were a completely awesome band. I am not let down at all. No, I am more than un-let down. This cd fucking rocks my world! It's already in my all time top ten. I am immediately remided of CR (my favorite band of all time), though this isn't just a CR copy (don't know if that'd be possible). If you took CR, made it more structured and not so out of control, and added influences like early gravity stuff and some metal influence in the guitar style, you'd get this. Fucking great, this is right up my alley like a mack truck. You NEED this cd! I cannot praise this enough. Get it from Bottlenekk. Now! I'm serious, go now and get the address, put your money in the envelope and send it off! Go! Now!

Murdock/Yum Yum Tree- split 7"
What needs to be said? Hmmm... Murdock was already one of my favorite bands just from their cd, and the cd pales in comparison to these two songs. I can't wait for the split with DEVOLA! ARRRRGGGGHHHH! They're like... CR style long-island hardcore, but a lot less crazy. Some weird time signatures and whatnot... now, Yum Yum Tree, I had not heard before. I can't pin down their sound. It's kind of like Murdock for the first song on this split, but not so intense... but the second song, it's like they got together with Bikini Kill. I'm serious, it reminds me of Bikini Kill... hmmmm... oh well... I was not too impressed with Yum Yum Tree (though I love the name). Get this split for the Murdock side though. Great band, great songs, great layout... altogher awesome!

4/21/99

Def Master- "Thoughts Distorted" cd
Def Master is a really good industrial band from Japan. First heard 'em on the o' great blue thing comp, put out by jon chang (of discordance axis). They also have a split with discordance axis if that gives you any idea. They are really intense, that's what gives them an edge over other industrial groups. Metal guitars mixed low with lots of electronic noise and screams and howls over top of it all. Pretty damn severe. Of course, you'll probably never be able to find this, but if you ever find anything of def master I'd throughly reccommend picking it up.



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